February 2015
The Kenmore Kronicle A Newsletter for the Nursing Staff at Kenmore Mercy Hospital
Sara Stedy Helping Move Patients Safely The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. ~ Proverbs 21:5
Together We Succeed Will the snow ever go away? We have been going through a long and cold winter, while experiencing everything attached with the season including: the flu, increased census, shoveling the snow to get where ever we need to go, cleaning off our cars before and after work, and icy and snowy roads.
The Sara Stedy stand and transfer aids have been on patient units since late last year, promoting support aid that encourages more mobile patients and to stand up independently. There has been great feedback from the nursing staff about this new resource. More will come with the formal roll out of Moving with Care, previously known as Diligent. This training program will help improve both associate and patient safety through education and new equipment.
The Sara Stedy, demonstrated here by Kattie Tatta, RN, and Amy Shellman, RN, helps to minimize manual handling by caregivers.
Avoid the Risk of Tubing Misconnections
Through this all, the nursing staff continues to come to work and do its best to take care of our patients. They smile amidst the frustration, and stories about what is going on in the hospital and at their homes.
The Joint Commission continues to caution hospitals about the risks of accidental medical tubing misconnections that can cause severe patient injury or death.
It made me think, we are all in this together. Even through the more difficult times we can share our desire, to keep on going and support each other in the good times and the challenging times.
The Joint Commission noted the following examples from another hospital: • An enteral feeding tube connected to a mothers’ PICC line instead of TPN. This error proved to be fatal to both the mother and the fetus. • Post-operatively a blood pressure cuff was accidentally connected to the IV line causing a fatal air embolism.
Thank you all for your teamwork and your efforts to do your best even when the situations may be difficult. Remember you are are a gift to others and you are the gifted. With gratitude to all, ~ Cheryl
Accidental tubing misconnections occur because medical tubes with different functions can easily be connected with luer-style connectors that are used to make leak-free connections between medical tubing. The tubing connections can also be rigged using adapters, tubing or catheters. It’s important to pay attention to detail and never force connections. The Joint Commission is working in conjunction with international groups of clinicians, manufacturers, and regulators to develop standards which would make it difficult, if not impossible for unrelated delivery systems to be connected. New safer designs will be introduced for enteral feeding applications in 2015. Until that time, it is vital to pay attention to lines. Always trace tubing from the patient to the point of origin. Route tubes having different purposes to opposite sides of the bed. Label the tubing! Educate family and non clinical staff to always ask for help and never disconnect/connect any infusion.