An orientee comes to you in tears saying a couple of tenured nurses have snapped at her or huffed impatiently when she asked a question. Several other staff have met with you individually about conflict and hurtful comments they say are happening on one of the specialty teams. You already…
What makes an organization "highly reliable"—able to avoid the rare but serious breakdowns that can have devastating consequences for patients? A highly reliable organization is one that is "exceptionally consistent in accomplishing their goals and avoiding potentially catastrophic errors," notes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Some familiar…
In 2001, the ORs at Banner Baywood Medical Center were struggling—physicians were dissatisfied, case volume was down, and 13 staff positions were vacant. "There was a general lack of urgency. There just was no culture of efficiency," says Christine Halowell, RN, MS-HSA, CNOR, director of perioperative services for the Mesa,…
The patient had come to the OR for joint replacement surgery. Though she had a complicated medical history, there was no reason to believe she would have serious problems. But during the surgery, things went wrong, and despite everyone's efforts, the patient died. It hit the team hard, including the…