Author Question: A senior nurse on a medical unit is aware of the role that she can play in establishing a culture of ... (Read 86 times)

Melani1276 · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

A senior nurse on a medical unit is aware of the role that she can play in establishing a culture of safety on the unit. What characteristic is most important to care settings that possess a culture of safety?

A) Anticoagulants, opioids, and insulin are cosigned by two nurses.
B) Physicians' orders are entered into a computerized system rather than a handwritten section
of patients' charts.
C) Nurses feel that they can report errors, near misses, and adverse events without being
punished or denounced.
D) Direct patient care is provided by ADN and baccalaureate nurses rather than practical
(vocational) nurses.

Question 2

The Joint Commission has taken action to encourage healthcare organizations to reduce the incidence and impact of errors. How has the Joint Commission acted to facilitate these improvements in care?

A) By delineating the scope of practice for registered nurses and practical (vocational) nurses
B) By providing a forum for patients to report errors and substandard care
C) By funding safety education in medical schools and nursing schools
D) By standardizing the measures by which safety in hospitals is gauged

akudia · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: C
A central attribute of a culture of safety is the existence of trust and mutual respect.
This encourages healthcare providers to report errors, near misses, and other adverse events
without fear of retribution. Cosigning medications and eliminating handwritten orders are
specific measures that may augment safety, but they are not characteristics of a culture of
safety. Excluding PNs from care is not necessary to ensure safety.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
In 2004, the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) began working together to align measures common to both organizations. These
standardized common measures, called Hospital Quality Measures, are integral to improving
the quality of care provided to hospital patients and bringing value to stakeholders by focusing
on the actual results of care. The Joint Commission has not directly addressed the scope of
nursing practice, the healthcare education, or the reporting process.