Patient-Focused Function: Infection Prevention and Control
Firstly, it is important to note that infection prevention and control are critical for patient safety because the hospital-acquired infection can massively hinder patients’ rate of recovery and effectiveness of treatment and exacerbate their conditions. Considering the current public health situation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, it is evident that infection control for Healing Hands Hospital is a major risk factor in terms of nosocomial infections (NIs). A study suggests that healthcare professionals must be protected with proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when providing care to patients to prevent patients’ exposure to COVID-19 (Graham & Woodhead, 2021). Therefore, patient safety improvement measures need to be highly precise and strategic to be able to monitor progression.
Another major point is centered around nosocomial infection surveillance, which needs to be the core aim alongside PPE implementation in order to achieve the expected outcome of a reduction in hospital-acquired infections. It is stated that “continuous surveillance has a positive impact on reducing Nis … hospitals need to consider participant in NIs surveillance” (Li et al., 2017, p. 164). Hospital-acquired infections are typically acquired because patients were exposed to other infections or developed antibiotic resistance, resulting in increased severity and complications (Johnson & Sollecito, 2020). Thus, there is a strong need to include rate reduction in the continuous quality improvement process.
Organization Function: Leadership
Secondly, in order to successfully achieve the accreditation and achieve the desired objective of increasing patient safety, it is critical for Healing Hands Hospital to apply a proper leadership framework. A study suggests that “strong clinical leadership is required to improve the quality of care … compassionate leadership is paramount in healthcare” (Graham & Woodhead, 2021). Thus, there is a need for compassionate leadership with strong clinical management.
In the case of personal protective gear or PPE, the emphasis needs to be put on balancing standardization procedures and staff flexibility. A study suggests that “the highest level of error reduction is found in circumstances in which employees are granted a high degree of discretion, standardization rigidity is intermediate, and, as a result, adherence to standardization is high” (Nissinboim & Naveh, 2018, p. 43). Medical experts need to be given room for autonomy and choice-making to introduce flexibility. In other words, standardization is effective to a certain extent in order to making the procedures and processes more consistent. Subsequently, a leader in the organization should focus on compassionate transformational leadership to harness trust and support among the team members. The organization already has a rigid standardized structure of processes and procedures, which is why the emphasis needs to be put on flexibility factors.
Government Regulations and Private Regulations
Thirdly, adherence to the standards for healthcare organizations, such as Healing Hands Hospital, is vital since regulations are enforcement mechanisms to ensure the quality and safety of care. In the case of government regulations, these are designed to standardize and embed patient safety assurance on the state and federal levels. They outline the boundaries within which healthcare organizations must operate, and failure to comply with the regulations carries a punitive measure as an incentive to avoid non-adherence. However, although government regulations establish the minimum benchmarks for healthcare and patient safety, many organizations strive for excellence due to market forces. In order to be competitive, hospitals such as Healing Hands Hospital should not only do the bare minimum but seek to provide the highest quality of care to outshine their market competitors (Joint Commission Resources, 2021). This is why private regulations such as those of The Joint Commission are necessary for health care.
References
Graham, R. N. J., & Woodhead, T. (2021). Leadership for continuous improvement in healthcare during the time of COVID-19. Clinical Radiology, 76(1), 67-72. Web.
Johnson, J. K., & Sollecito, W. A. (2020). McLaughlin and Kaluzny’s continuous quality improvement in health care. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Joint Commission Resources. (2021). 2022 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. Joint Commission Resources.
Li, Y., Gong, Z., Lu, Y., Hu, G., Cai, R., & Chen, Z. (2017). Impact of nosocomial infections surveillance on nosocomial infection rates: A systematic review. International Journal of Surgery, 42, 164–169. Web.
Nissinboim, N., & Naveh, E. (2018). Process standardization and error reduction: A revisit from a choice approach. Safety Science, 103, 43–50. Web.