The documentary “Chasing Zero” reflects on the importance of quality care and patient safety. From the video, a child presents with jaundice, but the hospital fails to recognize immediate treatment. As a result, the child develops further complications such Kernicterus, which results in brain damage from jaundice (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, 2014). Unfortunately, there were many devastating instances such as this, which could have been greatly prevented.
In response to these tragic events, activists have introduced many best-practice approaches to minimize these occurrences. One instance is a new cleaning checklist developed from culture methods from other industries to reduce the risk of Staphylococcal infections. Another best-practice approach is the invention of a Pyxis medication dispensing unit, which is a form of medication management that includes barcode technology. This provides another safety check for the nurse as it implements the five rights of medication administration, and minimalizes any further medication errors.
As the years have passed, technology plays a significant factor in improving patient safety. For instance, infusion pumps have prominently been enhanced to
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Patient safety experts have demonstrated that “patient safety increases when teamwork and collaboration skills are taught and empowered; when teamwork and collaboration are not present, medical errors will result” (Creasia & Friberg, 201, p. 348). As a nurse, it is imperative to collaborate with other interdisciplinary members in health care and also strive to research and implement evidence-based practices. Evidence-based practice is necessary to “ensure the highest quality of cost-effective care and the best patient outcomes” (Fineout-Overholt, 2011, para. 16). With a collaborative and innovative attitude on safe health care practices, an increase in patient safety and effectiveness of care will