A nursing executive wishes to implement a new policy based on initial National Patient Safety Goals 2002 to eliminate wrong patient, wrong site, and wrong procedure. Which action by the executive would best meet one of the goals?

Question

a. Collaborate with the laboratory for timely reporting of laboratory values.
b. Formulate a time-out policy.
c. Mandate that all fall-prone patients be clearly identified.
d. Reevaluate work flow design and patient–staffing ratios.

Answer 1

B
One of the initial National Patient Safety Goals 2002 was to eliminate wrong patient, wrong site, and wrong procedure surgeries, so establishing a policy that requires a time-out to verify patient, site, and procedure before starting an operation would help meet this goal.
Timely reporting of lab values would not be closely related to any of the initial National Patient Safety Goals 2002.
Reducing falls is a laudable goal, but identifying high-risk patients was not one of the initial National Patient Safety Goals 2002.
Work flow design and patient–staffing ratios may be related to patient errors, but these measures would not closely align with any of the original National Patient Safety Goals 2002.