Patient Safety, Transformational Leadership and Evidence-Based Practice

Patient Safety, Transformational Leadership and Evidence-Based Practice

Most Pressing Patient Safety Issue

Healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the critical patient safety challenges facing our contemporary work setting. This problem entails the infections that a patient gets while he or she is being attended by a healthcare professional. These infections usually are acquired when a patient is being treated at a healthcare facility or home. Besides, these infections are often realized forty-eight hours after the initial medication process. According to Scott, (2014), this phenomenon is common in immense healthcare organizations and about one patient out of twenty being attended by a healthcare professional acquires this infection. These healthcare-acquired infections include hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) a lungs disease for patients who are medicated using respirators so as to help the breath. Additionally, catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) as another type of HAI occurs to patients admitted to critical care units when bacteria and germs enter the patient’s bloodstream. Lastly, surgical site infections (SSI) as another HAI manifest in the part of the patient’s body where surgery was performed.

The healthcare-acquired infections pose a great threat to the safety of a patient in that they deteriorate one’s health condition. The infections also prolong the recovery and admission period of a patient in a healthcare organization. Moreover, if these infections are not discovered in due time and attended they may lead to the death of a patient. Also, these healthcare-acquired infections cause fatigue of the healthcare professionals in that the infected patient has to be often attended. Consequently, these healthcare-acquired infections may result in suits of a healthcare institution by the patient on the ground of breach of legal duty of care. Therefore, based on the adverse implications associated to HAI it is essential to put in place measures to curb this healthcare problem facing our modern-day health care setting.

Improvement of the Patient Safety Issue

Yonder-Wise, (2015) asserts that HAI patient safety problem is a controllable phenomenon through various ways. For example, to minimize surgical site infections it would be a rationale to ensure a prior surgery plan. This initiative entails an in-depth discussion between surgeons and other healthcare staffs’ with the aim of discussing the procedures and tools to be utilized to ensure a smooth surgery. Through this initiative, healthcare professionals would harness the patients’ safety. On the other hand, there is the need for ensuring often check up on patients conditions as a measure to mitigate both catheter-related bloodstream and hospital-acquired pneumonia infections. This assertion rests on the fact that regular checkups of patients health will aid in ensuring safety in healthcare facilities.

Best practices and their implementation. Ensuring accountability by healthcare professionals is one of the optimal practices that can guarantee mitigation of this patient safety issue. According to Yonder-Wise, (2015) the responsibility of healthcare providers is a significant aspect that is associated with positive implications such as improved quality and safety of healthcare services. Thus, to ensure the implementation of accountability practice, it would be essential to effect sensitization on the observance of the various health care codes of ethics. Through the abidance to the set code of conducts, the healthcare providers will be responsible hence an improvement in the safety of patients healthcare condition. Additionally, skills development of the healthcare professionals is another paramount practice that can facilitate the eradication of healthcare-acquired infections issue. This affirmation rests on the fact that enrichment of healthcare skills will cater maximum healthcare services and innovation in a healthcare setting. To facilitate skills improvement of the healthcare providers, it would be recommendable to organize quarterly training programs concerning healthcare safety. These training programs would be material since they would enlighten the healthcare professionals about the latest measures of harnessing patient safety.

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Essential management practice. Harmonizing the rigidity between production efficiency and reliability as one of the necessary management practices would be substantial in implementing the changes for patient safety from healthcare-acquired infections. This management practice is relevant to a healthcare setting in that it ensures optimal operation of healthcare processes and cohesion of healthcare providers. For example, through this management practice production efficiency concerning healthcare services such as surgeries and placement of patient under the machine is observed and improved. Therefore, it is evident that the management of harmonizing the stiffness between production efficiency and reliability helps in curbing HAI such as surgical site infections.

Additionally, the principles aspect of harnessing reliability also is significant in the eradication of catheter-related bloodstream and hospital-acquired pneumonia infections. This affirmation rests on the fact that the reliability aspect of this principle helps in ensuring regular check up on patient health status. As a result, the health care providers can ascertain the effectiveness of the recommended medication to the patient’s health. Thus, this measure facilitates the detection of HAI as well as the admission of a proper medication to cure these infections. Thus, to implement the harmonizing the strain between production efficiency and reliability principle, it would be recommendable to promote a conducive workplace environment in the healthcare organizations (Institute of Medicine, 2003). This assertion rests on the fact that a friendly working environment helps in promoting job satisfaction, morale and optimal execution of healthcare obligations. Besides, it would also be a rationale to foster the availability of healthcare resources such as equipment, labor, and publications as a means of ensuring the reliability of the healthcare providers.

Transformational leadership. Hutchinson and Jackson, (2013) asserts that transformational headship plays a critical function in the healthcare organizations especially ensuring patient safety. As a result, transformational leadership may be essential in harnessing the prevention of healthcare-acquired infections. For example, transformational leadership in a healthcare setting would facilitate teamwork of the healthcare providers. This role of transformational leadership would help in ensuring sharing of skills, idea, and unity in the healthcare facilities. As a result, the healthcare professionals would be in a position to enhance patient safety from contracting HAI. Additionally, transformational leadership also promotes motivation of the health care staffs. This aspect is enhanced through creation of a friendly relationship of the parties involved. For example, through transformational leadership practice of recognizing and awarding of best performing healthcare providers there is the development of a motivational culture which facilitates the promotion of healthcare safety.

Moreover, transformational leadership also aids in the buildup of positive self-esteem of the healthcare providers (Hutchinson & Jackson, 2013). Through enhancement of self-esteem of the healthcare professionals accountability aspect in healthcare setting is promoted which in turn induces an improvement in the patients’ safety from healthcare-acquired infections. Lastly, transformational leadership is worth in a healthcare institution since it facilitates the development and implementation of procedures and policies. These are essential facets of ensuring patient safety since they aid in fostering a positive culture characterized by efficiency. Besides, the procedures and policies developed facilitate the minimization of errors in a healthcare setting that poses a threat to patients’ safety.