Policy of Choice Patient Safety

Policy of choice: Patient Safety
The provision of healthcare services is a complex responsibility that the professionals in healthcare risk management must never take lightly. Hospital regulations and accreditation standards make the safety requires complex and inevitable (PSQH, 2014). With formal procedures and policies, it is possible to promote and encourage compliance with regulation and high safety standards in the workplace. These policies also make quality healthcare and patient safety easier to deliver. Well articulate policies will alleviate variability in nursing practice that is likely to lead to compromises in care and eventual harm to the patient. The financial situations that require more attention for patient care may make it difficult to continuously review procedures and policies. Failure to update and develop policy can cause negative consequences for the patients (PSQH, 2014).
Patient safety policy is significant for the fulfillment of several professional requirements including:
· Adherence with the set professional practice standards
· promotion of compliance to the accreditation requirements, statutes and regulations
· Minimizing variations in nursing practice
· Standardization of practice in all the healthcare system entities
· Fundamental resource for new nursing staff
· Enhanced certainty, therefore, alleviating the need to rely on memory when faced with many tasks. When nurses are overburdened with obligations this can cause major errors and medical mistakes that will harm the patient (PSQH, 2014).
The patient safety policy demonstrates the significance of procedures and policies in the safety of the healthcare system.
The nurse has an ethical and professional duty to help minimize potential harm for patients. Previously detrimental mistakes were only seen as unsafe acts, adverse events or errors. In nursing practice today, these adverse events are referred to as threats that risk harming the patient (Canadian Nurses Association, 2018). The nurses form a fundamental part of the process of enhancing patient safety. Inter-professional groups, healthcare systems and the healthcare institution in general also play a significant role in promoting patient safety (Canadian Nurses Association, 2018).
Quality healthcare and safety in patient care can only be achieved through the following:
· Healthcare centered on the patient
· Sharing of medical information
· Activities geared towards patient safety in the hospital
· Detecting any potential threats before they occur
· Using the human factor in the approach of patient safety
· Full disclosure of any adverse events and in good time
· Advocacy for patients
· Information and sensitization on patient safety.
· Training and education on patient safety
· Building a culture that is safe and just
· Availing manual on patient safety and continuously updating the safety manual
· Full disclosure of the hospital policy on patient safety (Osaka University Hospital, n.d.)
The patient safety policy has made it possible for healthcare institutions to alleviate detrimental medical errors that could harm the patient or lead to loss of life. Due to the strictness of patient safety procedures and policies nurses are able to manage complex situations better. This has fundamentally reduced the cost of administering healthcare procedures, improved quality of care and enhanced access to healthcare. With standard safety standards that guide every medical procedure healthcare is delivered more efficiently and effectively, therefore, improving the quality of care (The Leapfrog Group, 2018). According to Tingle and Bark (2013) the patient safety police has had tremendous effect on the way health care is delivered. Data from The Leapfrog Group (2018) show that around 440,000 patients die annually from hospital accidents, injuries, errors and infections. Further 4% of patients will unnecessarily develop some infection while at hospital. Medicare patients have a 25% chance of getting injured, harmed or even die while being admitted in a hospital facility (The Leapfrog Group, 2018). On a daily basis close to 1,000 people die as a result of medical errors that can be prevented. If is for this reason that patient safety procedures and policies are an integral and fundamental part of any healthcare institution.
Issue of Interest: Drug Abuse in Adult Population
According to the Kingdon’s Model there are three streams of issue that influence policy development. They are as outlined below:
· Problem Stream: In this stage there is significant attention given to a major event or issue, therefore, causing a release of a stream of problems (Kingdon, 2011). This is the first step towards formation of policy. Drug abuse has become a prevalent issue in almost every society. Current policies on drug abuse do not seem to have any significant impact on the alleviation of the vice. The problem of cocaine, heroin, Opioid, and alcohol abuse etcetera has caught the attention of everyone.
· Political stream: This stage goes simultaneously with the problem stream. During this period the problem is shared with policy communities. These communities may include specialists in drug abuse, congress, the media and the public. Proposals, debates and redrafts happen during this stage. The proposals will be considered and the ideas from experts begin to be thrown around. A concrete agenda is still under formulation in this stage. Today there are drug abuse policies like mandatory counseling for repeat offenders. Repeat offenders are also subjected to incarceration (Chandler, Fletcher & Volkow, 2009). This policy might not be the best for drug abusers for reasons discussed below.
· Policy stream: In this stage proposals are shortlisted prior to determination of the best policy. Interest groups influence the policy that will be enacted. The war against drugs has largely influenced the way drug addicts are handled by the justice system.
· Windows: In this stage there is convergence of all the other streams for a common public policy.
The public policy on drug abuse as highlighted by Nova Recovery Center (2016) has defined the way drug abuse victims are handled by the justice system. In my view a repeat offender is someone who requires more of medical attention than incarceration. Convicted drug offenders should receive professional psychological therapy and medical treatment. The overcrowding and adverse prison environment will never do anything to help a drug abuser recover. The government needs to invest more on rehabilitation centers and strengthen the medication network for drug users. Today most drug abusers will shy away from seeking medical attention for fear of being imprisoned. As such the criminal justice system should be left to deal with drug traffickers and not the drug users. The drug rehabilitation, therapy and medication system should be enhanced. The professions that deal with recovery from addiction should be enhanced. The
Kingdon’s model can be used to analyze the downsides about involving the criminal justice system in handling drug abuse cases. Upon identification of the problem, congress, human rights groups, experts on drug abuse and the public will weigh in on the political stream. The outcome of the two processes will influence the policy reformulation. The objective is to give better help to drug addicts by embracing humanity and perceiving drug abuse cases not as crimes but as medical conditions. Eventually this will lead to sound public policy in the windows stream stage.


References
Canadian Nurses Association (2018). Patient Safety. Retrieved 9, September, 2018 from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/nursing-practice/evidence-based-practice/patient-safety
Chandler, R. K., Fletcher, B. W., & Volkow, N. D. (2009). Treating Drug Abuse and Addiction in the Criminal Justice System: Improving Public Health and Safety. Journal- American Medical Association, 301, 2, 183-190.
Kingdon, J. W. (2011). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies. Boston: Longman.
Nova Recovery Center (2016). Rethinking Prison for Drug Offenders: Alternatives to Incarceration. Retrieved 9, September, 2018 from https://novarecoverycenter.com/addiction/rethinking-prison-for-drug-offenders- alternatives-to-incarceration-2/
Osaka University Hospital (n.d.). Hospital Policy for Patient Safety and Quality of Care. Retrieved 9, September, 2018 from http://www.hosp.med.osaka- u.ac.jp/english/outline/basicpolicy.html
PSQH. (2014). Policies and Procedures for Healthcare Organizations: A Risk Management Perspective, Patient Safety and Quality HealthCare. Retrieved 9, September, 2018 from https://www.psqh.com/analysis/policies-and-procedures-for-healthcare-organizations-a- risk-management-perspective/
The Leapfrog Group (2018). What is Patient Safety? Retrieved 9, September, 2018 from http://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/what-is-patient-safety_m
Tingle, J., & Bark, P. (2013). Patient safety, law policy and practice. London: Routledge