The Joint Commission oversees voluntary accrediting programs for hospitals and other healthcare organizations. The goals are specific activities that authorized organizations must follow to prevent medical errors, including caregiver misunderstanding, infusion pump misuse, and prescription mix-ups. The Joint Commission receives reports from patients, their families, government agencies, the general public, employees of organizations, and the media on patient safety issues. This information is intended to assist recognized and certified enterprises in improving the quality and safety of their products and services.
One of the safety goals associated with health information technology is patient identification: An identification bracelet with the patient’s name, inpatient number, consultant name, and room number is placed on the patient’s hand by a nurse. It addresses the patient by name, and before performing any surgeries, delivering drugs, or doing anything else, the nurse must check the ID band (Black et al., 2020).
In order to offer excellent treatment and minimize infections, all healthcare professionals must follow stringent standard operating procedures (SOP). A seven-step handwashing technique, personal protection equipment (PPE), and appropriate waste disposal are part of the standard operating procedure. Moreover, medication safety ensures that a patient’s rights are respected. Finally, there is effective communication, which aids in the maintenance of a positive nurse-patient relationship and the avoidance of hospital system confusion.
A holistic approach incorporating individual, organizational, and technical variables can be used to improve alarm safety. By contributing to the organizational component, nursing students can impact the Joint Commission’s recommendations for alarm safety.
Their first-hand experiences as nursing students enable them to give data or information in enhancing alarm protocols and standard operating procedures, alarm evaluation and assessment, alarm inventory, and prioritizing (Fiscella et al., 2017). Their efforts will make a significant difference in closing the gap between alarm-related standards and how they are implemented in practice. Nursing students should also discuss the necessity of alarm systems, including enabling nurses to provide prompt attention to patients, reminding nurses to give patients medicine, and alerting in emergencies.
References
Black, W. E., Esposito-Smythers, C., Liu, F. F., Leichtweis, R., Peterson, A. P., & Fagan, C. (2020). Leveraging health information technology to meet the Joint Commission’s standard for measurement-based care: A case study. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 46(6), 353–358. Web.
Fiscella, K., Mauksch, L., Bodenheimer, T., & Salas, E. (2017). Improving care teams’ functioning: Recommendations from team science. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 43(7), 361–368. Web.