Medical Errors College Essays Samples For Students

Introduction:

Nursing is a profession that deals with the taking care of people who are sick or injured. With the vital cases that nurses do seal with at times, like ordering for drugs, subscribing for a patient and administering of the same, they do undergo training to be able to handle such tasks. During their training, they familiarize themselves or get skills that might enable them handle the different cases that might arise when they are practicing their profession in the field. In the process of their medical practice, they do undergo many challenges that affect both their profession and the people ...

In the report from the conference “Error in Medicine: The Role of Morbidity & Mortality Conference,” Vincent Liu report that increasing cases of errors involving doctors and patients had led to a national concern on the very issue. Lui report that while it could be assumed that medical errors only affect patients, it was found that physicians were equally affected. The conference was dubbed M& M which was acronym for Morbidity and Mortality. In the conference, doctors discussed modalities that would be applicable in an attempt to reduce such occurrences (Lui, p.1).
Lui writes that a report released on patient safety ...

The nursing fraternity is a crucial facet of the overall medical arena, fundamental in the continued preservation and enhancement of patient health care and medical wellbeing. This therefore portends to the need of a coordinated effort, with respect to the implementation of various aspects pertinent to patient health improvement and the reduction of various forms/ types of medical errors. As earlier stated in previous studies, medical errors are not only attributed to human fallibility, but can also be attributed to systemic errors, thus the resulting gradual increase in complications and fatalities. The proposed evaluation plan’s core aim is to provide ...

1.0 Without putting the figures you cited into a spreadsheet, it is quick to appreciate the fact that the medical costs of obesity is clearly higher than the cost of implementing the research project. The net obesity cost (NOC)-to-project implementation cost (PIC) ratio of 10.2 [$1,429 / $140] is convincingly high. A patient’s annual savings from obesity cost can virtually finance this project implementation estimate.
However, it is unclear to us if the cost of implementing the proposed exercise prescription protocol (EPP) or the actual implementation of EPP by the patient, using the necessary equipment and ...

According to the institute of medicine (IOM) medical error occurs due to failure to complete a planned action as intended. A lot of lives are lost due to medical errors that can otherwise be prevented (Ehteshami et al., 2013). This has forced the Joint Commission and institute for safe medication practices to adopt new technologies that can help health care professionals to prevent these medication errors. The goals of these technologies are to improve the administration of medication and patient identification. Technology has proved to be the best method to improve the safety of the patients. In United States, ...

Dear Senator/Representative (Legislator’s Name):

As a leader of a non-profit health care organization, I would like to respectfully express my views and observations about the current health care status in our country. In particular, medication administration procedures. I would also like to call your attention about my goal in promoting a safer health care system for the benefits of all patients across our country. I agree that the reform in our health care system may have been long overdue. It feels great to know that our government is exerting its efforts to improve the overall system through health care reform laws. However, I ...

Communication errors

Communication is among the crucial aspects especially in nursing that promotes optimal care delivery. As such, effective communication among healthcare professionals especially during shift changes helps in preventing various medical errors like medication overdose as well as surgical complications. In addition, effective communication helps in enhancing the clinical outcomes of patients since medical errors are closely associated with various adverse events that have severe health as well as economic consequences on patients. According to Pham et al. (2012), effective communication among healthcare professionals especially during shift changes helps in minimizing the incidences of medical errors and subsequent injuries as ...

Dissemination of Evidence into Practice: Medical Errors

While to err is human, there are other causal factors, which do result in the myriad of medical errors experienced. Accordingly, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) provides that more than 100,000 deaths are recorded in the USA alone, on an annual basis. This is in addition to a million plus injuries, all of which are attributed to the prevailing rates of mistakes and medical errors. Various measures exist, with regard to preventing and alleviating the resultant negative effects of medical errors. However, there is need for a coordinated effort, towards finding long-lasting and practical solutions to such occurrences. One of ...

Medical errors occur in the day to day interaction among the patients and the clinicians. The doctors' role specifically, stipulate for the doctor to disclose such error to the patient at the point of realizing the same. However, there are ethics and laws that govern the doctor's right and the patients' rights as well. Assume a scenario where the doctor realizes wrong prescription from the clinicians, could this not have an impact if disclosed in front of the patients? In Pensylvania, such ethics are well established in the laws that govern the physicians' options to either disclose or not ...

An EHR system is an electronic health records system that stores all the medical information about a patient. The system is a digital version of keeping records that can be located at any moment. When accessed, the system will show the medical journey of a patient, from a previous diagnosis, allergies, the medication they have been given and the laboratory test results. Because of this, the system helps in promoting the management of the risks that occur with errors on medication. In addition, the systems operate on a digital network that makes it easy for any healthcare to access information about a patient at any ...

Medical errors are unavoidable, even with the best possible human intervention, preventative measures and system input, as is witnessed through the many deaths associated with hospitalization and medical care. A medical error pertains to the failure of a given prescribed treatment procedure, which has the potential of causing the patient harm. Causes are often varied, interrelated, and in ways in which a single individual or system device cannot be solely blamed. Towards preventing medical errors, proposed solutions exist through varying avenues: enhanced medical staff training and error awareness, as well as the general improvement of the prevailing monitoring systems present. This ...

Competency is the possession of knowledge, skills, behavior, and the capacity to enhance the patients’ safety, medical outcome and satisfaction. Informatics as a nursing competency focuses on the integration of technology as an evolving practice of nursing. The use of electronic health records in the healthcare management has been critical in the promotion of the patient’s safety, medical outcome, and promotion of efficiency in health institutions. This paper will study the importance of informatics competencies in enhancing patients’ safety, medical outcome and satisfaction. Also, the study will put into perspective the implications of informatics on nursing education, practice, ...

Introduction

Nurse have various legal responsibilities in any hospital setting. The nurse’s responsibilities particularly become accentuated in settings where various problems are being experienced. In this case study, a step down unit of a hospital is experiencing high census and a very high patient nursing ratio, meaning that the unit is serious understaffed. Understaffing is a critical issue in health care because it can lead to several negative consequences. One of these problems is medical errors, and this is, in fact, what happens in this particular hospital. A medication error refers to an error by a care provider either in dispensing, administration, prescribing or ...

Medical errors cause up to 98,000 people to die annually in the United States. They are the fifth leading cause of death and cost the United States $29 billion annually (Kohn 1999 in Al-Assaf, 2003). Medication errors result in devastating effects on the practice of a healthcare worker and a hospital where it is reported. It increases morbidity and mortality. It also heightens hospital cost and promotes litigations with concomitant bad PR. Healthcare administrators must be proactive to prevent these errors by creating learning communities among healthcare workers. They must rise up to the occasion when it occurs by tackling ...

HITECH legislation and its primary goals

Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 forms part of a stimulus package that was approved as law in order to champion the use of EHR (electronic health records). Electronic health records possess the capacity to transform the health care sector from a largely paper based sector to reliance on clinical information and other sources of information in assisting the providers to deliver higher levels of quality care to patients (Beasley and Sinsky, 2014). At its core, HITECH has five primary objectives. First, HITECH seeks to augment quality, the safety, efficacy of health care ...

Puerto Rico and the Electronic Health Record (Part I)

The focus of this research is on Congressman Pedro Pierluisi who serves in the as the representative of Puerto Rico. He is from the Democratic Party. He can be contacted at 2410 Rayburn House Office Building. His phone is 202-225-2615 and his email is http://pierluisi.house.gov.
Currently, the key major stakeholders involved in the bill are the congressmen since the bill is still in the committee stage in the house. The contents of the bill are being deliberated on by the subcommittee on health. As such, the real benefits of the bill have not achieved yet. However, in the event ...

Part 1

The focus of this research is on Congressman Pedro Pierluisi who serves in the as the representative of Puerto Rico. He is from the Democratic Party. He can be contacted at 2410 Rayburn House Office Building. His phone is 202-225-2615 and his email is http://pierluisi.house.gov.
Currently, the key major stakeholders involved in the bill are the congressmen since the bill is still in the committee stage in the house. The contents of the bill are being deliberated on by the subcommittee on health. As such, the real benefits of the bill have not achieved yet. However, in the event ...

Introduction

Problem definition
Language barrier is a critical issue in the field of heath care. It is a roadblock to the access of quality health care services. Patients who cannot speak or understand the same language as the health care providers have a challenge when they are accessing the services. They may not understand the prescription given by the doctors. They may not use the drugs properly and as required by the standardized drug and substance abuse policies. The patients may not even be able to explain the problems they face to the health care providers. When patients seek medical attention from ...

- Introduction
Amayatakul writes that “electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient’s medical history from one practice. An EMR is mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment (Amayatakul, 2012, p.19).” This indicates that Electronic medical records will act as a supplement to nurse practitioners in that healthcare service will be efficient, which will be beneficial to both the patient and the staff members (Anderson, 2005, p.123). In addition, a nurse practitioner need electronic medical record as a way of keeping track of the patient’s past records. This will help the ...

The alarming report on patient safety crisis in the United States has brought tremendous public awareness which calls for improvement in the quality of care as well as significant changes in the U.S. healthcare system. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) launched a program called “A New Health System for the 21st Century” which focused not only on patient safety but on bridging the gap between the right health care and the actual care that people may receive. To modify the quality of care, the Institute of Medicine set the Six Aims for Improvement which served as the framework ...

Executive Summary of a Hospital’s Computerized Prescriber Ordering System Hospital Project

Executive Summary of a Hospital’s Computerized Prescriber Ordering System Hospital Project

The purpose of the computerized prescriber ordering system (CPOE) project is to reduce the relative risk for medication errors and associated adverse events and costs at the hospital through implementation of an electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) system. The ultimate goal of the project is to improve the safety, value, and quality of patient care. Reduction of medication errors is thus an intermediate goal in the pursuit of the overall goal. The purpose of the project is aligned with the hospital’s mission. The hospital’s mission is to provide ...

Introduction

Change is a perpetual in today’s fast paced world. What is modern today becomes obsolete tomorrow. New technologies mean a change in the way on thinks, learns and gets his information or uses it. Any organization may feel the challenges brought about by those new technologies and why they need to implement them within their culture. Any change within or outside an institution is sure to incite mixed reception and perception among its members and clients. The essay applies a change theory to an organizational-based on Kotter’s change model and plans a change process. The change process ...

The present day healthcare system is highly fragmented; it is made up of different teams of health professions who have different education and training levels and plays specific roles in healthcare delivery process (Lancaster et al., 2015). The teams include nurses, physicians, technicians, anesthesiologists, surgeons and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs). Patients also have a broad range of health problems that needs to be addressed. As such, care for such patients cannot be entirely provided by one care provider. Typically, a hospitalized patient interact with several health care providers at the course of his/her stay at the hospital. Therefore, it ...

(Author, Department, University,

Corresponding Address and email)

Abstract
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a method of combining traditional and well-established practices with research-based evidence for better healthcare related outcomes. It has become a priority in many parts of the world. International organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the European Commission are emphasizing on the adoption of EBP. It is important in nursing profession as it helps in fulfilling the gap between what nurses know and what is good for patients, and removal of this gap can help in reducing undesired outcomes. It is also helpful in decreasing the healthcare costs, ...

Clinical question

The picot question is: In addressing patient to nurse ratio and patient’s outcomes, is an enhancement of nursing continuous education more effective than mandatory nurse–patient ratios regulation in increasing number of nurse and quality improvement in two years? To find answers to the above clinical question, the questions that this study will seek to find answers to from various published research studies shall include: whether enhancing nursing continuous education improves nurse-patient ratios and the role of nurse leadership as well as staff regulations in increasing nurse numbers so as to improve nurse-patient ratios.

Description of the problem

Nurses are critical to ...

Purpose

This paper looks to evaluate the impact of the nurse-to-patient ratio in achieving the desirable outcomes. It will analyze the evidence which depicts ways of improving this ratio to improve the quality of care given to patients and meeting their needs. Additionally, the paper will describe the impact of staffing problem to the well-being of the patient and work satisfaction. It will come up with questions which will be used to find the evidence which addresses this issue. Lastly, the paper will describe the strategy which will be employed to locate articles in regards to nurse-to-patient ratio.

Describe the problem

Nurses played ...

WGU

A. Table of Contents
Professional Resume – presents my clinical knowledge, skills, experience, and philosophy to potential employers
Executive Summary – provides an overview of the contents of the portfolio
Professional Reference Questionnaire – presents the objective and subjective evaluation of my key behaviors and clinical performance by one of my professional references
Importance of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – discusses the need to develop knowledge and skills in quality leadership in order to improve the quality and safety of patient care and promote holistic, patient-centered care

Copy of IHI certificate of completion – serves to validate my completion of the IHI Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership course

Evidence-based Practice – summarizes an evidence-based research project on hand hygiene
Applied Leadership – summarizes my ...

Part 1

The current changes concerning the demographic structures of the United States population present both opportunities and challenges to the development of the nation. Notable variations in the population makeup of the country are based on the realization that the aging population is increasing by the day and as such, there is the need for developing care plans that are specifically suited for this portion of the populace (Shi & Singh, 2015). The chief solution that can adequately address these concerns has a healthcare profession that can sufficiently look into the problems brought about such as chronic diseases and propose the ...

Introduction

The adoption of technologies, particularly EHRs, in small hospitals has been slow despite their perceived benefits at the organizational level. Instead, most of the available literature have concentrated on EHRS implementation in large clinical settings. This gap happens regardless of the fact that both environments have similar needs when it comes to enhancing patient care. Concentrating on a small New York-based hospital, this essay discusses EHRs implementation using Rogers’ (2003) qualities as a guideline to successful change. These qualities include relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, trialability, and observability.

Relative Advantage

First, relative advantage refers to a product’s extent of technical attractiveness ...

Introduction and Statement of the Problem

Bedside shift reporting occurs as one of the most pertinent concepts in the context of health care. This can be attributed to the colossal role it plays in enhancing the process of care for patients. The core essence of bedside shift reporting entails the fact that it identifies all the care accorded to patients by nurses in the previous shift. As such, it offers a means through which patient care can be continued in a coherent manner. Despite the significant evidence that points to the fact that bedside shift reporting is important in patient care, it is yet to ...

For a long time now, nurses have been fighting against inadequate staffing and the outcomes that such issues have on them and the patients under their care. Additionally, the ever ballooning needs of the health care system have resulted in the number of patients requiring care going above the available healthcare personnel (Aiken, et al., 2014). As such, the available nurses presently working in the country, both at the state and the federal level are overwhelmed by the responsibilities bestowed on them. From the foregoing, therefore, it is evident that finding the optimal level of the nurse-to-patient ratio has ...

Nursing homes are residential places for patients who require continuous nursing care because they are unable to deal with day to day activities in life. The homes provide staff round the clock to ensure that their patients have the care they need at all time. Usually, the patients are those who have already been treated in the hospitals, but still need constant health care which cannot be provided by their family at home. They provide both medical and therapy services. The homes provide skilled nursing care to the old who are no longer able to take care of themselves ...

Every time I read the report on the IOM recommendations, I cannot help but see it as the future of healthcare in the United States.I like the fact that all the recommendations have been simplified and are straight to the point but yet carry a lot of weight in regard to shaping the future of nursing practice. It clearly points out that indeed, nurses have been bestowed with a critical role particularly in producing safe, effective and quality care for all the patients in our healthcare system (Aiken et al, 2003, p.1621). As a nurse on training, I see myself fitting perfectly ...

Health informatics is the practice of managing healthcare information through the use of information systems and other management methods. The rate of adoption and usage of electronic record systems in healthcare facilities has risen over time. This has necessitated individuals such as Sam and Dr. Travis working in internal medicine practice to consider its adoption and use. Under the paper records systems, a patient has to be checked at more than one of the three sites. These means that the patients records are recorded at more than one site and the paper chart needed to be send over all these ...

Executive Summary (Benchmark Assessment)

Introduction
Nursing informatics integrates the field of computer science, nursing science, and using data in order to improve nursing practice. Information technology has become an integral phenomenon in the 21st century. Thereby, the healthcare system has to adapt to the dynamic society. Nursing informatics is important because it aims at improving nursing practice through efficiency and analytical skills. Given that most health care systems have adopted the electronic health records systems to ensure that patient care is efficient, nurses should adapt to technology and information systems that have automated patient’s data. Thus, nursing informatics class should be ...

Nursing fatigue and overtime hours is a major issue in the nursing sector in the present times. Studies indicate more than half of the registered nurses work overtime. Working overtime consistently makes the nurse tired compromising their work. According to Hugman (2003), fatigue compromises the ethics registered nurses follow. Registered nurses should be attentive, competent, and responsive when caring for patients (Meahger & Patron, 2004). The American Nurses Association (2012) argues registered nurses have a responsibility of taking overtime assignments when they are sure they can deliver to the ethical demands of their work. Although the American Nurses Association tasks nurses to ...

- What is professionalism?
The oxford dictionary (n. d. as cited in Mitchell, 2009, p. 668) defines professionalism as an occupation in which a person professes to be skilled in. The Webster International dictionary of English language (n. d. as cited in Mitchell, 2009, p. 668), on the other hand, defines professionalism as a calling that requires special knowledge and long intensive educational preparation that includes instruction in methods and skills as well as instruction on the scientific, scholarly, and historical principles that inform the methods and skills; and that maintains high standards of conduct and achievement for its members ...

The success and prosperity of any economy or country has a great deal to do with the stability and efficiency of the healthcare system in operation in that particular country. Despite this, the healthcare system in operation in many countries is far from efficient. Wakefield (2004), notes that health care is plagued with inappropriate utilization of health services and errors in health care practice in the united states, a factor that accounts for a great deal of wastage and inflation of the cost on Medicare. In light of this, it is quite surprising to note that the adoption and use of high ...

Explain the healthcare core competency; work in interdisciplinary teams. Why this is important to address in healthcare education and what is its impact on practice?

Effective interdisciplinary teamwork is central to the delivery of safe and quality healthcare. Teamwork and collaboration within nursing and interdisciplinary teams promote open communication and mutual respect, shared decision-making and leadership skills, and cooperative learning and professional development. Collaborative work impacts nursing knowledge, attitude and behavior, and development of skills. Working within a team helps a nurse identify personal strengths and limitations and their value to the team. Team members have well-defined roles that translate into ...

The expectations of health care providers include possessing knowledge of legal issues related to the profession. They have to be aware of any potential legal claims against them in the course of undertaking their professional duties and responsibilities (Guido, 2010). In some instances, filing of such legal claims is dome without their knowledge of liability, especially when the patients believe that certain responsibilities were not carried out efficiently. Most of the cases filed against nurses involve negligence, malpractice and, gross negligence (Guido, 2010). However, problems arise from the inability of nurses to differentiate between negligence, gross negligence, and malpractice. ...

Technological advancements have been very vital in the improvement of medical and healthcare service provision. Medical technologies such as those used in cancer therapy, computed tomography and X ray procedure are all very useful procedures that save many lives today. However, research has shown that some of these technologies are misused just to generate income for medical institutions and owners while putting patients at a very big risk with their lives. It is because of these patient welfare concerns that patient protection plans should be implemented to curb cases of inappropriate diagnostic and treatment.

Patients should also be given full ...

Introduction

Part I of the organizational change plan focused on the; aims of the EMR project, identified the factors potentiating the need for the EMR system, organizational and individual barriers to the planned change, and the external and internal resources available to support the implementation of the EMR system. The factors influencing the proposed change as well as those influencing the organization’s readiness for the change were also identified. Part I concluded with the application of Kurt lewin’s change model to the change process.

Meanwhile, the change strategies to be utilized in implementing the change as far as ...