A national study has revealed more than half of nurses do not speak up to physicians when safety tools have alerted them of a problem, according to a release from The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
The study, "The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren't Enough to Save Lives," included the following key findings:
• More than four of five nurses have concerns about dangerous shortcuts, incompetence and disrespect demonstrated by their colleagues.
• More than half say shortcuts led to near misses or harm, and only 17 percent of those nurses shared concerns with colleagues.
• More than a third say incompetence led to near misses or harm, and only 11 percent spoke to the colleague considered incompetent.
• More than half say disrespect prevented them from getting others to listen or respect their professional opinion. Only 16 percent confronted disrespectful colleagues.
Linda Groah, RN, MSN, AORN executive director/CEO, said the findings have implications for nurses in the operating room. "Safety tools such as protocols and checklists guard against honest mistakes," Ms. Groah said. "However, this study tells us where this is more work needed in the OR to support the surgical team's ability to establish a culture of safety where all members can openly discuss errors, process improvements or system issues without fear of reprisal."
The study was conducted by AORN, VitalSmarts and AACN. Download the full-length Silent Treatment Study.
Read the release on the Silent Treatment Study.
Read more about hospital ORs:
- 6 Tweaks to Improve the Efficiency of Hospital ORs
- Lessons From Aviation Applied to Hospital ORs
The study, "The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren't Enough to Save Lives," included the following key findings:
• More than four of five nurses have concerns about dangerous shortcuts, incompetence and disrespect demonstrated by their colleagues.
• More than half say shortcuts led to near misses or harm, and only 17 percent of those nurses shared concerns with colleagues.
• More than a third say incompetence led to near misses or harm, and only 11 percent spoke to the colleague considered incompetent.
• More than half say disrespect prevented them from getting others to listen or respect their professional opinion. Only 16 percent confronted disrespectful colleagues.
Linda Groah, RN, MSN, AORN executive director/CEO, said the findings have implications for nurses in the operating room. "Safety tools such as protocols and checklists guard against honest mistakes," Ms. Groah said. "However, this study tells us where this is more work needed in the OR to support the surgical team's ability to establish a culture of safety where all members can openly discuss errors, process improvements or system issues without fear of reprisal."
The study was conducted by AORN, VitalSmarts and AACN. Download the full-length Silent Treatment Study.
Read the release on the Silent Treatment Study.
Read more about hospital ORs:
- 6 Tweaks to Improve the Efficiency of Hospital ORs
- Lessons From Aviation Applied to Hospital ORs