Question

What is an organization's mission statement for a specific occupational, professional, or governmental organization/agency that addresses safety? How is safety addressed within this organization? How important is safety to the profession of nursing and what will you do to ensure safe practice?

Answer 1

First lets quickly review some terminologies

Organization – It is a structured unit with a balanced composition of people functioning together to achieve a common goal/a particular purpose/a product as outcome.

Mission – It is a statement (mostly declarative) that reflects the field of orientation of an organization along with its specific 'goals and objectives' and about the quality of service/products/outcome that they ultimately deliver.

Safety – It is a broad term referring to certain sets of regulations (norms for practice), behaviours (guidelines on interpersonal interaction), equipment’s (usage of certain itineraries as specified) and various other measures (insurance, coverage, accident or injury reduction) compiled in a way as it offers a layer of protection to all those inside the organization.

Now, lets discuss the answers in detail

Mission Statement of an organization addressing safety

To exhibit zero tolerance to work related injuries/accidents by adhering to higher standards of precautions in terms of technology and efficiency at all levels of employment.

Addressing Safety

The primary objective of an organization addressing safety is to focus on measures that helps in the primary prevention of hazards. It is the most economical operative strategy as it reduces the chances that an injury/accident occur (also helps to minimize the impact of occurrence). The work place hazards of physical, biological and psycho-social origin needs to be identified a priori and organized timely measures should be instituted at all levels of employment by means of work place regulations, work decorum, mock drills for sudden response, and timely assessment of physical parameters of individual workers.

As an organization addressing individual safety, the following checkpoints needs a mandated adherence implemented via designed protocols.

1. The workplace and its surroundings should be well maintained with routine cleaning (on shift basis), has sufficient light and ventilation and access to safe drinking water and hygienic food and dinning areas.

2. All employees shall wear the prescribed personal protection gear throughout their shift, and should check the functional quality of tools and machineries with which they engage on work.

3. Plan procedures to deal with emergency (in case needed for an evacuation) and have planned drills on routine basis.

4. Mark and contain the hazardous chemicals and update training for employees handling the same.

5. Review safety guidelines from time to time

6. In house safety training at fixed intervals

7. Communicating with the employees regarding the standard safety precautions through videos, documents and routine mobile application directives.

8. Ensuring insurance coverage and proper period of rest/sleep for whole category of employees.

Importance of safety in Nursing Profession

Nurses are the health professionals having the highest frequency and length of contact with individual patients admitted to the hospitals. Apart from it, they also need to maintain contact with other health professionals on various matters associated with the care of patient.

For nurse’s ‘safety’ is a two folded word, that is, (i) she must ensure patient safety and (ii) she must maintain personal safety. One dimension is oriented at care competence level and other at the carer level.

In terms of patient safety, she must ensure that the client receives optimal care as planned, no negligence related outcomes (patient injury like falls, medication errors etc) enhancing the quality of life, preventing adverse care affects, avoiding negative care outcomes (safe care environment) and overall reducing the morbidity and mortality statistics to the best possible limits.

On the other hand, the nurses must ensure that they are physically and mentally fit for the job (had even breaks between the shifts), proper rest and nourishment, adhere to clinical safety protocols/guidelines, update background knowledge on emerging infections (their sources, mode of contact transmission and prevention), and maintaining professional standards at all levels of interactions.

Ensuring safe Nursing Practice – the essential points/tips to consider

1. Always adhere to universal precaution practices

2. Wear protective gears if the care is too demanding and require a long-time exposure.

3. Follow treatment guidelines, checklists from time to time and have multiple checks performed before every procedure.

4. Follow organizational policy in terms of procedure performance.

5. Find a mentor, have collaboration with other health professionals.

6. Advocate and uphold teamwork and nurture key relationship with colleagues

7. Undergo training and update clinical skill and knowledge.

8. Develop good documenting and labelling practices

9. Routinely check the medical equipment’s for its efficiency. For example, ventilators, dialysis machine

10. Check the medical supplies, its appropriateness and expiry regulations

11. Update the emergency cart with the required medicine replacements

12. Find learning opportunity in every situation and ask for supervision as and when needed.