The Impact of Unreported Errors in Healthcare- A Case Study on Patient Safety and Organizational Performance

The Impact of Unreported Errors in Healthcare- A Case Study on Patient Safety and Organizational Performance

Discuss the consequences of a failure to report.

Mike works as a laboratory technician and has a tendency to arrive late to work. Mike’s manager advised him that if he were to be late again, he would be fired. This was the second time Mike was late. Sadly, Mike is rushing once again, and upon entering the premises, he notices a spill on the floor. He is now presented with a dilemma: clock in on time by ignoring the spill and believing that someone else would clean it up, or clock in late by ensuring that the spill is properly protected. Mike is dealing with the additional stress of the possibility of losing his work, as well as the burden of being the primary breadwinner for his wife and newborn child.

Two scenarios are described throughout this assignment. The first scenario depicts Mike following the best decision by halting to protect the spill while also informing his manager of his whereabouts and the reason for his lateness. The second scenario depicts Mike making the wrong decision by failing to notify his manager of his whereabouts and the reason for his lateness. The second scenario depicts Mike walking away from the spill and handing it over to someone else to keep it safe so that he may clock in on time. Later, Mike learns that a lady had slipped and fallen in the lobby, breaking her hip in the puddle that he had neglected to keep secure in the first place. Mike is now confronted with a new dilemma: whether or not to disclose to his boss the events that led to the patient’s admission to the hospital.

According to the circumstances, it is more advantageous to make the correct selections the first time. Mike’s decision to breach business policy in a healthcare setting by disregarding difficulties or making poor decisions puts the safety of fellow staff members, patients, and visitors at risk, as well as the possibility of legal repercussions for both Mike and the organization for which he works. Every day, healthcare workers are confronted with difficulties that necessitate the adoption of a choice (Cunningham & Geller, 2008). Healthcare professionals must make the best decisions possible while effectively communicating and remaining accountable in order to achieve this goal.

Explain the impact his decision had on patient safety and organizational performance (risk for litigation, organization’s quality metrics, workload of other hospital departments, etc.).

Mike’s judgment to report on schedule rather than protect the spill put his own demands ahead of the interests of others, and he was wrong. The result of his bad decision-making resulted in one of his guests slipping and breaking his hip in the hotel foyer. The first and most important thing Mike should have done was notify his manager of the issue that had arisen. In light of the foregoing, any reasonable manager would agree with Mike remaining late to make up for lost time while not penalizing him for coming in delayed to protect the spill and prevent injury to personnel and guests. Mike’s employer should have some sort of program in place to promote a patient-safety culture among its employees. The implementation of programs like these instils a sense of commitment in employees, motivating them to discuss and learn from their mistakes, accept the faults they have made, and take action to rectify the issues so that they do not recur (Garuma, Woldie & Kebene, 2020). When safety culture programs are implemented, organizations demonstrate increased communications about safety and the effectiveness of prevention methods, lowering the risk of liability and inadequate metric scores.

As Mike’s manager, describe how you would address the issue with him and the steps you would take to ensure other staff members do not repeat the same kind of mistake.

In consideration of the scenario that has been described, I would definitely impose some sort of punishment.  However, disciplinary action is not the same as dismissal. Considering his habit of punctuality, he was also counselled on the subject, and to openly disregard a spill in the corridor that resulted in someone sliding and injuring their hip because he was afraid of being fired is inexcusable. Having said that, the act of writing this makes me rethink my decision to terminate. As a boss and a nurse who is compassionate towards others, I am able to think about where I have failed as a manager and how I may fix the situation, thereby giving Mike one last chance to prove himself to me. This will be accomplished through the creation of a written report, the evaluation of corporate policy, and the provision of patient safety culture training to employees. As a leader, it is my obligation to set a good example because if I do not, the team will not be able to work well together and, hence, will not achieve their full potential (Weiss, Tilin & Morgan, 2018). Leaders have the ability to influence team members’ habits and actions, resulting in purposeful attempts to create a safe environment as the default setting for everyone.

Reflect on the scenario and describe what underlying aspects or issues may be contributing to workplace dilemmas such as this.

There are a number of underlying factors that may be attributed to workplace challenges that result in bad actions and decision-making that contribute to less beneficial results, such as a lack of leadership, a loss of culture safety awareness, or a lack of collaborative efforts. As an example, WellStar is a company that has deliberately searched out strategies to eliminate or reduce workplace challenges that have an impact on our behaviors and decision-making processes. A common acronym used by WellStar is ARCC, which stands for “Ask a question, request a change, express a complaint, and call in anyone senior up the Hierarchy.”

This strategy encourages staff to speak out when they have concerns about the safety of their coworkers or patients. Among the other parts of the ARCC program are safety huddles, which provide useful information, briefings on quality standards, and the opportunity to provide positive feedback to employees on what they are doing well (Raines, 2014). Instilling a sense of collective equity and providing an atmosphere of integrity and transparency in staff members such as Mike allows them to not only take responsibility for overseeing their time effectively but also to make effective decisions when confronted with difficult choices without fear of punitive proceedings from their supervisor or manager.

Consider the manner in which most healthcare organizations function (structure, people, technology, environment). As a leader, discuss what principles of organizational behaviour and development can be applied to effectively contribute to the success of a healthcare organization. How could these principles be applied to this scenario?

Nurses play an essential part in the health care system, with the ability to influence policy and best practice through their work. Another method in which nurses can contribute to the success of a company is by making improvements to the institution’s workflow process. Beneficial work process enhances efficiency, which allows organizations to achieve their goals while providing consistent, dependable, and safe patient care in accordance with accepted standards of practice and best practices. Sharing administration is a professional practice paradigm that can be employed by companies that are made up of interdisciplinary groups that need to collaborate with one another on a regular basis. This paradigm encourages accountability for patient care, organizational control, value creation, and teamwork, among other characteristics (Thomas, 2018). In the end, measures or approaches such as those outlined above have an impact on the decisions and behaviours of employees, and as a result, they contribute to the success of a company.

References

Cunningham, T. R., & Geller, E. S. (2008). Organizational behaviour management in health care:

Applications for large-scale improvements in patient safety. In K. Henriksen, J. B. Battles, M. A. Keyes, & et al. (Eds.), Advances in patient safety: new directions and alternative approaches (Vol. 2). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Garuma, M., Woldie, M., & Kebene, F. G. (2020). Areas of Potential Improvement for Hospitals’ Patient-Safety Culture in Western Ethiopia. Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety, 113. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.2147/DHPS.S254949.

Raines, L. (2014). COVER STORY: How are hospitals handling safety? Employees focus on healing, keeping patients in a low-risk healthcare environment. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA).

Thomas, J. (2018). Nursing leadership & management: Leading and serving. Retrieved from

https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs451vn/nursing-leadership-and-management-leading-and-serving/v1.1/

Weiss, D., Tilin, F. J., & Morgan, M. J. (2018). The interprofessional health care team leadership and development [Adobe Digital Editions version]. Retrieved from https://viewer.gcu.edu/

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View the scenario called “Critical Decision Making for Providers” found in the Allied Health Community media.

In a 1,000-1,250-word paper, examine the scenario involving Mike, the lab technician, and discuss the following:

Discuss the consequences of a failure to report.

Explain his decision’s impact on patient safety and organizational performance (risk for litigation, organization’s quality metrics, workload of other hospital departments, etc.).
As Mike’s manager, describe how you would address the issue with him and the steps you would take to ensure other staff members do not repeat the same kind of mistake.
Reflect on the scenario and describe what underlying aspects or issues may be contributing to workplace dilemmas such as this.
Consider the manner in which most healthcare organizations function (structure, people, technology, environment). As a leader, discuss what principles of organizational behaviour and development can be applied to effectively contribute to the success of a healthcare organization. How could these principles be applied to this scenario?
A minimum of three academic references from credible sources are required for this assignment.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

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