As the head of the ED, I am particularly interested in this subject, as there has recently been an uptick in medication mistakes. Some meetings were held to discuss the issue of pharmaceutical mistakes even though no formal committee was formed. I believe creating an ad hoc committee is the best way to deal with drug mistakes in all areas. Respiratory and pharmacy departments should be included in the ad hoc committee because they have access to the drug distribution system. Stakeholders include the patients, the nurse administering the drug, department heads, the pharmacy staff, and finally, the CNO.
It is necessary to clarify the distinctions between culture and climate to appropriately address the committee’s culture, climate, and outcomes. In other words, an organization’s culture may be described as a set of shared principles and practices that operate as a moral compass for its employees. For example, my hospital is a Christian-based, non-profit organization that serves the community. Patients are treated with Christ’s instruction as the foundation of our purpose. As a result, our society is rooted in religion, and this is a permanent and unchanging part of it. An active member of the 7th-day Adventist church must ascend to the “C-suite” of an organization. In addition, the cafeteria does not offer any form of pork or seafood, such as shrimp. As a Catholic hospital, we adhere to the same set of rules and regulations as the rest of the Catholic Church. Workers’ conduct is influenced by their attributes and workplace environment (Potnuru et al., 2018). However, not everyone is a fan of the religious overtones and open prayer at every huddle and meeting at the hospital.
Openness and the freedom to express oneself are essential for the committee’s success. A “knee-jerk response” was what the CNO in my hospital planned to do to all staff members who made prescription mistakes. The pharmacy director, on the other hand, disagreed. They both had a unique perspective on the problem and two different plans for resolving it. Finding out what the root cause is and then taking steps to prevent it is sometimes a better first step than enforcing discipline. There has to be an agreement between the CNO and the pharmacy director on dealing with pharmaceutical mistakes. It was determined that the greatest mistakes occurred in a certain department at a specific time of day and that there was a clear trend among the nurses. The physician’s method of prescribing medicine was a factor, and most mistakes happened at two open drug dispensing stations during busy periods. Medical-Surgical (MS), Emergency Department (ED), and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) all had them, although they were not all kept up (ICU). Overwhelmingly, the nurses admitted to being distracted or hurried due to their hectic schedules. The available drug dispensing machine would now have an “off limits box” taped around it (Potnuru et al., 2018). No one could approach the nurse while she was in there. During the time the person is inside the box distributing medication, no one should bother, talk to, or otherwise distract them.
Medication mistakes were considerably decreased as a result of this. The nurses were also instructed to spend extra time reading the physician’s order and to print out the order form if there were more than two drugs. Staff briefings were held in every department to reaffirm the expectations around drug delivery procedures. Repeat offenders will be subject to a drug test and, if a narcotic is involved, a suspension and, at the very least, a written reprimand. Disciplinary action should not be the initial response to a policy violation, especially as critical as medicine administration. By organizing a committee with all of the stakeholders engaged, the staff can observe how well everyone works together to solve problems. Employees are appreciative and understanding of the openness and fairness created by this policy. Patient safety should always be at the top of any organization’s culture and atmosphere.
References
Potnuru, R. K. G., Sahoo, C. K., & Sharma, R. (2018). Team building, employee empowerment and employee competencies: Moderating role of organizational learning culture. European Journal of Training and Development.
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