National Patient Safety Goals

In the review of the literature regarding National Patient Safety Goals and the reduction of healthcare associated infections by the implementation of evidence-based practice, one article addressed the education of patients and family to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (Dela Cruz et al., 2012). MD Anderson Cancer Center Infusion Therapy Team places 600 central venous catheters (CVC) and PICC’s and 100 implanted ports each month at their facility (Dela Cruz et al., 2012). This volume gave rise to an extensive formal education program to assist the patient and family with care and maintenance of their CVC to reduce the number of catheter-related bloodstream infections (Dela Cruz et al., 2012). The education program consists

The article reviews the development of goals as a result of an Institute of Medicine report that highlighted the number of patients harmed each year by inadequate hospital practices (Rajecki, 2009). The NPSGs are a top priority in patient care delivery today and have paved the way in increasing patient safety and decreasing costs associated with inconsistent care by “going back to doing the basics” (Rajecki, 2009). The basics include performing skills like the five rights of medication, a simple task, but very valuable (Rajecki, 2009). Most health care organizations are now addressing care in a transparent manner by encouraging nurses to discuss and question their practice, especially if there is a better, safer way to do something. Organizations continue looking to involve patients and families in their health care goals to achieve better quality outcomes (Rajecki, 2009). The author notes that NPSGs are periodically revised and updated to reflect the changing practice and system requirements, quality initiatives, and patient care needs (Rajecki,

The authors wrote the report with podiatrists in mind, but it is relevant and applicable to other accredited healthcare providers and organizations as well. The author summarizes the development of NPSGs and educates about the goals that are most applicable to podiatrists in their scope of practice in addition to providing a practical application example (Chinn, 2014). The goals that are described and explained include: using at least two patient identifiers; eliminating transfusion errors due to patient misidentification; timely reporting of critical results of tests and diagnostic procedures; maintaining and communicating accurate medication information; reducing healthcare acquired infections and protocol for preventing wrong site, wrong procedure events (Chinn, 2014). Most applicable to this paper is the review of reducing healthcare-acquired infections. The healthcare-acquired infections get much attention from the Joint Commission due to their frequent occurrence (Chinn, 2014). The focus is given to hand hygiene and protocols to address specific infections (Chinn, 2014). The infections cited include reducing central line bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, multi-drug resistant organisms, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (Chinn, 2014). In the article’s discussion