Risk Management

So we are at the end of the semester, I can't believe it! We are summing up the semester discussing Risk Management. I can see how important Risk Management is in the hospital setting.

Risk Management is not just about tracking what went wrong but it is about tracking what went wrong so new procedures and checks can be made to avoid it ever happening again.  We have to file incident reports at work when something isn't done right. For example, if an antibiotic is missed or never run, an incident report is filed which states what happened and how it affected the patient. These reports are filed even if no adverse affects were identified. This can be intimidating unless you understand why they are filed. However, if you know that the Risk Management Department was notified by these filings because they want to find a common thread or error and put policies into place to avoid further mistakes, it makes perfect sense.

The bottom line of Risk Management is to keep the patients safe and provide the best and safest care possible to our patients. I read an article entitled Patient Safety, Risk, and Quality published by ECRI Institute (2014) addressing Risk Management. Their study shows that when risks are monitored both with patient care and improved quality of service both physically and financially, both the hospitals and patients win.

Risk Management is yet another aspect of Leadership that, if refined, creates a quality leadership and improved team support.

I  have enjoyed learning about Leadership this semester and will continue to strive for excellence in leadership at work as well as excellence in team work. I believe that teamwork and leadership provide a solid foundation for excellence in patient care.

ECRI Institute (2014). Patient safety, risk and quality. Retrieved from: https://www.ecri.org/components/HRC/Pages/RiskQual4.aspx