Safety and Comfortable Environment

Safety and Comfortable Environment

The environment in which the patient is placed should be comfortable and safe and it should contribute to his well being and should not retard his recovery.

a. Patient Safety and Comfort Measures:

Safety means protection from possible injury during the process of health care

Types of safety

Medical Safety

·           Clear doctors order

·           identification of patient with similar names

·           proper handling and taking over during change of shift

·           check oxygen flow and empty cylinder

·           check drip flow speed, drip sets, air bubbles etc

·           avoid wrong medication

·           discourage telephonic order

Surgical Safety

·           Proper patient identification

·           performance of correct procedure at correct body site

·           improved hand hygiene

·           avoid wrong connections of tubings. eg. catheters

·           check safety code

·           red – allergy

·           yellow – fall risk

·           purple – do not resuscitate

Laboratory Safety

·           Single use of syringe

·           avoid needle prick

·           avoid spilling of blood

·           care in handling acids and inflammable substances

Electrical Safety

·           Safety fuses with each equipment

·           No loose wires or connection.

·           connection Properly plugged and fixed

·           If short circuit call electrician

Fire Safety

·           Use fire proof material for construction

·           Have fire exit in all buildings

·           Smoke detection and water sprinklers on the root of all floors

·           Fire extinguisher in all areas

·           Training in fire management

Equipment and Installation Safety

·           Regular checking of equipment

·           Proper earthling to avoid shock

·           Regular maintenance and repair

·           Training nurses and mechanicals of possible hazards.

Blood Safety

·           Proper grouping and cross matching

·           Test HIV and hepatitis

Environmental Safety

·           Adequate light and ventilation

·           Stairs with hand rails

·           Slip preventing floors

·           Fire extinguishers and alarms

·           Prevent noise pollution

·           Safe wheel chairs and trolleys

·           No water logging in bathroom

·           Call bell system

·           Adequate number of screens

b. Safeguarding Patient’s Personal Belongings

·           When documenting valuables make sure to use words like white/yellow metal not gold. Clear stone not diamonds and rubies

·           Have a witness

·           Have nurse and patient sign valuable list

·           Inform the patient that he will get back his valuables on discharge

Sanitation and Infection Control

·           Proper segregation transport and disposal of biomedical waste

·           Use of sterile procedure

·           Formation of hospital infection control committee

·           Use of proper disinfection in right dose in right time

·           Safely dispose in needle destroyer

·           Reorientation of Doctors and nurses of infection control

Patient Comfort During Hospital Stays:

·           Provide Privacy (Shut Door, Pull curtain)

·           Assist if needed to remove clothing & put hospital gown

·           Provide Extra blankets if requested

·           Hospitals provide the patient with the right to not only accept their visitors, but also to deny them. It doesn’t help a patient’s recovery if the visitor is someone who will only bring them added stress.

·           Visitors are allowed to stay as long as they want, even overnight.

·           Provide wireless access along with the usual TV’s and comfortable chairs.

·           Counselling services and places to pray and meditate.

·           Make waiting time more productive— or at least less boring.

·           Help people connect more easily with hospital billing, physicians, scheduling, etc.

·           Learn more about your patients and visitors—and about their hospital experiences