Table II.
Patient Safety Recommendations for Clinical Practice
| Communicate and emphasize the importance of patient safety to all residents, families, and staff on a regular basis. Include ancillary, as well as clinical staff. |
| Ask if information on patient safety and safety systems is included in orientation or inservice training for all new staff. |
| Assess patient safety culture to establish institutional benchmark data, and identify areas for improvement using tools that are readily available.32,33 |
| Develop policies, procedures and mitigation strategies for certain high-risk practices, including medication errors or adverse drug events and falls. |
| Encourage the reporting of errors by residents, families, and staff. Look for ways to reward staff who engage in safe activities or prevent accidents or injuries. |
Provide clinical and administrative staff with additional safety leadership and management skills. Some available programs and sources of information are:
|