Question

While discussing the increased use of technology to gather, store, and access healthcare information, senior nursing students discuss the importance of preventing data security breaches and the implication of such breaches on nurses professionally. The class is divided into groups to research and prepare information on various relevant topics to present to the entire class.

1. A group is assigned to create a summary of information related to the ethical aspects of electronic data collection to the profession of nursing. What information will be included?
2. A group of students is assigned to research information regarding a healthcare organizational risk assessment. What will that group focus upon?

A nursing administrator is introducing nursing students to the facility’s client classification system process. The students in a clinical group are asked to create a mock simulation to describe the basic principles and how the process is implemented.

1. What are the basic principles that the students will include in this simulation?
2. The students will identify which core objectives and what nursing administration roles?

Answer 1

Health officials identify and assess risks as a way to reduce injuries to patients, staff, and visitors within the institution. Risk managers work proactively and reactively to prevent accidents or to minimize damage caused by an event.

The importance of risk assessment and management planning
For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published research that found that prolonged use of a urinary catheter is the main risk factor for catheter-related UTIs. Based on this information, a risk management plan has been developed, which requires doctors to regularly evaluate the catheter. The end result was a reduced risk to patients.

Since every organization faces unique challenges, there is no single risk management solution for everyone. The challenges faced by managers that must be addressed in the risk assessment plan include, but are not limited to:

Patient safety
Federal regulations are mandatory
Possible medical error
Current and future policy
Legislation affecting the health sector
The risks of not being prepared for potential problems can have important long-term implications. Lack of comprehensive risk management plans can compromise patient care, increase liability risks and lead to financial loss.

Hence, potential risks must be evaluated and measured against their potential negative effects. Based on the risk assessment, a management plan for the organization must be developed, implemented and monitored.