Tag: Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals for 2014

Making the Case for Maximum Alarm Management and Prevention of Alarm Fatigue

By Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant)

17-year old Mariah Edwards went in for a procedure that is performed countless times each year – a tonsillectomy. Recovering after the successful and very routine procedure, she was administered a dose of fentanyl to manage her pain. Although she was monitored continuously electronically, one of the attending nurses admitted on discovery that the monitor was muted for sound.

The settlement: $6 million. But, what really is $6 million to the parents of Mariah Edwards who have lost a child? What is the emotional toll to her nurses and other caregivers? Continue reading “Making the Case for Maximum Alarm Management and Prevention of Alarm Fatigue” →

PCA Survey Indicates Response to ECRI Institute 2014 Top Ten Safety Technology Hazards and The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals for 2014

By Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

The ECRI Institute recently released its Top Ten Technology for 2014. At the top of this list – alarm hazards. Although ECRI acknowledges that patient monitors are undoubtedly beneficial, ECRI says that the frequency of alarms can be detrimental: Continue reading “PCA Survey Indicates Response to ECRI Institute 2014 Top Ten Safety Technology Hazards and The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals for 2014” →