Healthcare Safety Toolkit Library

Violence in healthcare has escalated over the years and constitutes approximately 74% of workplace violence events reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is imperative that organizational leaders develop plans to prevent violence and train staff to identify and de-escalate violent behaviors as well as respond appropriately when an event occurs. This toolkit contains many resources to help facilitate the development of comprehensive violence prevention programs within your organization.

Maternal health encompasses the health of the pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in women’s healthcare. Healthcare provider’s goals in maternal care are to reduce morbidity and mortality by providing safe, quality services to the mother and her baby. This objective can be accomplished by identifying risks, educating patients and following recommended guidelines of evidence-based practice. This toolkit supplies resources to benefit in the improvement of maternal health.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shares a National Center for Patient Safety. The primary goal is to reduce and prevent patient harm. The program comprises a multi-disciplinary team based on a systems approach, including root cause analysis, confidential reporting systems, and patient safety training. Visit the website and browse the many features available.

This link refers to Medicare Conditions of Participation and interpretative guidelines associate with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Guidelines are offered for hospitals, Critical Access, and Ambulatory Surgery Centers. CE opportunities, advocacy, and policy, member resources are sources available on this site.

A healthcare and accreditation body that concentrates on providing safe patient care. The Joint Commission is composed of standard regulations available to all members. The agency performs scheduled surveys to assess member compliance with requirements. The site incorporates event reporting, education, webinars, and up-to- date materials.

This Institution is the leader in safe medication practices through research, education, and advocacy. The ISMP allows access for providers with a resource site, workshops, self –assessment, error reporting, and updated newsletters.

The United States Food & Drug Administration provides regulatory processes in many facets, including food, drugs, medical devices, radiation-emitting products, vaccines, blood and biologics, animal and veterinary, cosmetics, and tobacco products. The website has ample resources: guidance, alerts, announcements, and hot topics.

This forum for the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers assistance for federal disasters. The agency is part of the Department of Homeland Security. This division's purpose is for those individuals requiring financial aid that is no longer available through local and state resources. View the website for additional information.

It may be difficult for some staff members to understand their role in antibiotic stewardship. These resources can be used to educate staff members on how they can promote antibiotic stewardship through vigilence and patient education.

A job description is a tool that describes, in plain language, the functions and responsibilities of a position. A great leadership idea for reinforcing a commitment to antibiotic stewardship is to add language into the job descriptions incorporating these responsibilities into activities for certain positions. These are a few good examples of language to use in job descriptions to support antibiotic stewardship as a priority at the facility.

Below is a collection of sample policies and procedures that facility administrators may use to effectively implement the Antibiotic Stewardship Program within their clinic or hospital. The available policies cover a wide breadth of topics, including:

• Sepsis management protocols
• Renal dosing program guidelines
• Antibiotic Stewardship infection control policies and tools

Behavioral health encompasses many facets. Healthcare providers must be knowledgeable of the issues, risks and responses associated with these behaviors. The following information assists in the treatment of behavioral patients that present in many healthcare settings. Education is provided for patients, families and healthcare workers to reduce these risks and improve safety when caring for psychiatric patients.

Depression and suicide screens are essential in identifying high-risk patients. Implement a plan to maintain safety in all patient care areas. Screening, assessment, re-assessment, education and prevention are the keys to a successful program. Attached are multiple tools to evaluate patients who present with signs and symptoms related to depression and suicide.

Evaluate post-violent incidents to identify alternatives to handle these situations and prevent future episodes. Educate staff to maintain competency in a safe environment. Consider the use of resource officers to monitor behavioral patients. Guidelines and checklists are provided below to follow the appropriate course of action.