Addressing medical errors: an intervention protocol for nursing professionals

Abstract

Objective: To identify the types of interventions that should be included in an organizational protocol for responding to serious adverse events involving nursing staff. Method: A descriptive exploratory study was conducted in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain using a questionnaire. Results: 248 nurses have participated. The respondents prioritized the following interventions for inclusion in the protocol: legal advice (86.5% of participants) and counseling (82.4% of participants). Over two-thirds of the nurses (69.3%) showed that they would like to receive guidance on how to record adverse events on the patient's medical records, while 64.8% showed that they would like to receive advice on assurances and legal safeguards in relation to the health organization's medical error notification system and 54.5% endorsed refresher training. Compulsory temporary or permanent transfer of nursing staff involved in adverse events was one of the least popular interventions (3.3% of participants). Conclusion: The nurses prioritized counseling, legal advice, training in communication techniques, and refresher training to address the consequences of adverse events and discarded the possibility of compulsory temporary or permanent transfer.

Erros na administração de medicamentos via parenteral: Perspectiva dos técnicos de enfermagem

“…Estratégias para a prevenção de EA incluem ações de educação continuada e organização do serviço, os profissionais de saúde devem ser estimulados a notificá-los e as ações educativas devem ser simuladas a partir do contexto da prática em saúde, como um caminho para a assistência segura e de qualidade. (18) Embora relevante, o estudo limitou-se por ser tema de difícil discussão, pois os profissionais ainda se sentem desconfortáveis em discutir o erro humano de forma dialogada, podendo ocasionar no momento da entrevista a omissão de informações, devido a cultura de punição do erro enraizada nesse público. No entanto, foram prestados todos os esclarecimentos prévios para que esta limitação não influenciasse nos resultados da pesquisa.…”