CATHY TOWNSEND, RN, MSN-L. CNO of Banner- University Medical Center Tucson/South
On the top challenge
"Hospital systems in Arizona and throughout the United States are continually challenged with keeping patients safe in the healthcare setting. High acuity patients with complex, chronic conditions are at an increased risk for falls with injury and hospital-acquired conditions. Proactively preventing hospital-acquired conditions decreases the morbidity and mortality of an already vulnerable population, which adds to the compelling reasons for prioritizing safety in our healthcare environments. Keeping our patients safe in Banner Health and other healthcare organizations is an everyday challenge, but one that can be overcome by creating effective processes and a comprehensive culture of safety."
On the hospital's response
"Banner Health has created many research-based solutions to keep our patients safe. Preventive clinical 'bundles' ensure that specific processes are followed to decrease cases of CLABSIs, CAUTIs, Clostridium difficile, MRSA and surgical site infections. When followed meticulously and accountability is encouraged, Banner hospitals have seen considerable decreases in hospital-acquired infections.
The Clinical Consensus Groups are committees led by nursing leaders and physicians to define, design and implement the best practices for all of Banner Health. Clinical practices evolve and are challenged by the systems professionals, and we are learning to leverage our academic medical centers' state of the art research.
Each Banner Health hospital has a daily safety huddle in which team members report out possible risks to patients and employees and immediately resolve issues to keep the healthcare environment safe. The huddle focuses on Banner Health's anonymous incident reporting program and the importance of not just reporting but prioritizing loop closure with all issues. A culture of safety requires that all hospital associates are consistently mindful of and responsible for high quality care.
The Nurse Executive Council reviews and approves policies and practices in the Clinical Quality and Patient Safety Committee for the Banner Health system. All hospitals assign nurse champions to analyze and create solutions for the most concerning safety issues. Empowering bedside professionals to proactively prevent falls, infections and other hospital-acquired conditions goes a long way to creating a culture of high reliability and safety. 'Good Catch' awards acknowledge preventive measures taken by healthcare professionals that contribute to patient safety. Rewarding early recognition of near misses motivates healthcare professionals to report incidents, recognize system and human factors and promote safe practices. Engaging frontline clinical staff in our safety work is vital. When we encourage staff to speak up when they see something that negatively impacts patient care, every team member becomes an integral part of our quality and safety culture."