Patient Safety Archives

Patient Safety

Cerebral salt wasting: An overlooked cause of hyponatremia

Commonly confused with SIADH, cerebral salt wasting can result from such neurologic conditions as subarachnoid hemmorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, intracranial surgery, and brain…

Remedying role confusion: Differentiating RN and LPN roles

When the lines between RN’s and LPN’s practice roles got blurry, nurses initiated a comprehensive process to clearly define and demarcate these roles.

Caring for a homeless adult with a chronic disease

For homeless people, chronic illnesses can be hard to manage. Here’s what you should know about assessing these patients and developing a practical discharge…

Stay informed to stay safe

To be there for your patients, you need to take care of yourself.

Primary adrenal insufficiency: Elusive and potentially life-threatening

Often difficult to detect, primary insufficiency can flare into a life-threatening crisis. Learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of both chronic and…

Our “knowing-doing” gap

Something as simple and low – tech as the checklist can help healthcare providers close the knowing – doing gap.

Weaning patients from the mechanical ventilator: The nurse’s role

Mechanical ventilation can cause serious complicattions-among them lung injury, pneumonia, and multisystemic disorders. Early weaning reduces these risks. This article is available to American…

Medication errors: Best Practices

A medication error can occur in any healthcare setting-with devastating consequences. The authors describe weaknesses in the key elements of medication use and propose…

Examining nurse comfort eating

Many years ago I found myself standing in the frozen food section flirting with the prospect of buying a mouth-watering strawberry cheesecake. I rationalized…

Take Note

2/11/10 Three steps to lower childhood obesity Preschool children who do one or more of the following have a lower risk for obesity, according…

Applying a systematic approach to new-product assessment

Take the spontaneity out of new-product purchases to control costs and keep patients safe.

Protect patients from I.V. infiltration

An expert explains best practices for preventing, detecting, and managing this dangerous complication of I.V. therapy.

Cerebral salt wasting: An overlooked cause of hyponatremia

Commonly confused with SIADH, cerebral salt wasting can result from such neurologic conditions as subarachnoid hemmorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, intracranial surgery,…

Remedying role confusion: Differentiating RN and LPN roles

When the lines between RN’s and LPN’s practice roles got blurry, nurses initiated a comprehensive process to clearly define and demarcate these…

Caring for a homeless adult with a chronic disease

For homeless people, chronic illnesses can be hard to manage. Here’s what you should know about assessing these patients and developing a…