National Patient Safety Goals

n  Improve the accuracy of patient identification

n  Use at least two patient identifiers (our policy requires name and birth date) to verify patient ID when performing treatments or procedures.

n  Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers

n  Request a “Read-back” when giving verbal or telephone orders or perform one when receiving critical value test results.

n  Reduce the risk of health-care acquired infections

n  Comply with CDC hand hygiene guidelines

n  Use Central Venous Line protocols to avoid infections

n  Treat all identified cases of unanticipated death or permanent injury due to health-care acquired infection as sentinel events.

n  Work to accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care

n  All home meds are addressed on admission.

n  At time of transfer to another unit meds are reviewed and documented.

n  At discharge consider home and all new medications.

n  Meds are communicated to patient and any care providers.

n  Eliminate wrong site, wrong side and wrong procedure surgeries or interventions

n  Verification of consent and any supporting information, such as x-rays prior to procedure

n  Site marking when indicated

n  “Time out” when all are present

n  Also applies to bedside procedures

n  “Time out” includes:

n  Right patient

n  Right procedure

n  Right positioning

n  Right side and site

n  Any special equipment needed, correct implants, tubes or catheters

n  Use the procedure note form to assist with documentation.

DO NOT USE ABBREVIATIONS

n  U (for unit)

n  IU (for international unit)

n  O.D or Q.O.D (for every day or every other day)

n  Trailing or leading zero (X.0 mg or 0.X mg)

n  MS, MS04 or MgS04 (morphine sulfate, mag sulfate)

n  Ug (for microgram)

n  A (for ear)

n  Investigational “nicknames” for commercially available products, such as 5FU

LOOK ALIKE, SOUND ALIKE DRUGS (SALAD Drugs)

Ampicillin - Amoxacillin
Amlodipine - Amiodarone
Bupropion 150mg XL - Bupropion 150mg SR
Bupropion - Buspirone
Celebrex - Celexa -Zyprexa
Cisplatin - Carboplatin (Platinol - Paraplatin)
Clonidine - Klonopin (clonazepam)
Daunorubicin - Doxorubicin
Dobutamine - Dopamine
Depakote 500mg ER - Depakote 500 DR
Diltiazem 120mg - Diltiazem 120 mg SR
Doxazosin - Doxepin
Epinephrine - Ephedrine
Glipizide - Glyburide
Hydralazine - Hydroxyzine
Levofloxacin - Levetiracetam / Levothyroxine - Liothyronine
Medroxyprogesterone - Methylprednisolone - Methyltestosterone
Mitotane - Mitomycin - Midodrine
Neomycin - Niacin
Nicardipine - Nifedipine
Nitroglycerin - Nitroprusside
Phenytoin - Pyridostigmine
Prednisone - Prednisolone
Prozac - Prilosec
Quinidine - Quinine
Rifampin - Rifabutin
Sulfasalazine - Sulfadiazine - Sulfisoxazole
Taxol - Taxetere (Paclitaxel - Docetaxel)
Valcyclovir - Valganciclovir
Vinblastine - Vincristine