Background: Experts call for stronger safety cultures and transparent reporting practices to increase medication safety in today's strained healthcare environments. The field of ecological restoration is concerned with the effective, efficient, and sustainable repair and recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. A study was undertaken to determine whether the lessons of restoration science can be adapted to the study of medication safety issues. Methods: Working with 26 practitioners, the principles of good restoration were used to design and pilot an innovative multifaceted medication safety intervention. The intervention included focus groups with practitioners, the construction and administration of a research based medication safety inventory, repeat digital photography of environmental safety issues, and targeted environmental modifications. Results: Participants were most concerned about staff education and the physical environment for medication administration. Ward staff used the research to build a healthy reporting culture, introduce regular discussions of near misses, develop education strategies, redesign delivery and storage processes, and renovate the environment. Conclusions: Members of a busy hospital ward successfully adapted methods of restoration science to study, redesign, and strengthen medication safety practices and ward safety culture within existing resources. Further research will be conducted to test the merits of restoration science for health care.
AimTo explore nurses' use of the WHO safety checklist in the perioperative setting
BackgroundPromoting quality and safety in health care has received worldwide attention. The WHO surgical safety checklist (2009) is promoted in reducing postoperative morbidity and mortality. The checklist has been introduced in Irish perioperative settings.
Method(s)A descriptive, qualitative approach was utilised. A purposeful sample of ten nurses participated in individual, semi-structured interviews.
ResultsParticipants were committed to promoting safety in navigating challenges in introducing, complying and accepting the value of the WHO surgical safety checklist in concordance with best practice. Participants moved from task completion to embracing the checklist as an effective surgical safety checking tool. Challenges were identified around roles and responsibilities in overseeing the completion of the check list.
Conclusion(s)Management of processes is critical when implementing any safety initiative. This paper highlights the complexity and challenges in implementing the WHO surgical safety checklist, contributing to global discussions around translating policy into practice.
Implications for Nursing ManagementEffective implementation of a checklist requires a coordinated management approach in collaboration with team members. These approaches will support learning experiences contributing to a shared understanding of the change being implemented by all team members.
Background Globally, government and higher education institutions are expected to increase international student numbers. Programme development, marketing international collaboration and management has been the focus of strategy roll out. Aims This study aimed to explore international student experiences while undertaking Master of Science postgraduate education far from home. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used. Following ethical approval, 11 students studying on a Master of Science Nursing postgraduate programme in one health education institute in Ireland volunteered to participate. Students were of Asian origin and mixed gender and the average age was 27. Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews and data analysis followed Burnard’s thematic framework. Results The data provide evidence of the complexities and challenges experienced when studying on a Master of Science postgraduate nursing programme. Students described a process of juggling to survive and succeed. Three overarching categories emerged: differing realities, working through, and learning new ways. Conclusions This study adds to international debate regarding structures and processes supporting international nurse education. In meeting ethnic and culturally-diverse student learning needs, consideration of learning and teaching approaches is warranted. For globalisation in nurse education to prosper, investment needs to move from focusing on recruitment towards structures and processes to nurture intercultural learning.
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