By Anica Oaks
Hospitals are infamous for being busy places with overloaded schedules. Patients find the bustle to be a bit tiring, but this pace is much more stressful on doctors and nurses who are responsible for making professional choices on the fly. The problem is that any error could have consequences for a patient’s health and have legal repercussions for the individual or the hospital. These few habits can reduce the chance for medical mistakes and their consequences.
Encourage Proper Rest at Home
Success in the workplace very much begins with decisions made at home. It cannot be stressed enough that medical professionals should get enough rest so they have enough energy and focus the next day. Coffee and nicotine cannot compensate for sleep. They stimulate the nervous system but cannot prevent other symptoms of fatigue. Regular sleep patterns are key.
Lunch at Work Should Be Light But Energizing
Breakfasts typically consists of carbohydrate rich foods that provide energy without slowing the body down with hard digestion. Lunch should consist of foods that are not very sugary but not overly filling. Supper is the time for heavy foods that can be digested while relaxing. Eating habits affect energy levels for the next few hours, so it pays to choose wisely.
Electronic Documents Are Essential
Virtually every hospital and many clinics are able to access databases containing patient information and also use networks to schedule tasks and mark them as complete. When a nurse signs for medicine delivery or patient care, every other worker in the facility has access to the fact. This reduces the chances of double dosing medicine or missing a critical schedule. Workflow Automation is one example of how to reduce documentation error with workflow management systems.
Being Polite to Coworkers as Well as Patients
Fellow medical professionals are a critical source of help and information, even if they might also be seen as rivals. Encouraging distance or a sense of contest can cause coworkers to become cagey with information. Being helpful and gracious will ensure others return the favor, and it is not just the patients who matter. Everyone is a customer, and goodwill is a form of currency that can be saved for many years.
Making Sure to Continually Build Good Work Habits
Medicine and nursing are fickle professions, and success requires more than working hard. They require finesse in order to save labor, because hard work will be a given. Avoiding mistakes is better than having to correct them, and in a hospital especially this saves a great deal of time and money.
Comments are closed.