Leading Critical Care Societies Partner to Advance Standards That Promote Patient Safety and Staff Retention
Posted on: Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 12:00 CST
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Three leading critical care societies today announced a cooperative effort to promote healthy work environments that foster safe, quality care. The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), along with the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) have all joined the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) in embracing the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments as essential in overcoming circumstances and conditions that, among other things, contribute to medical errors and put patients at risk.
AACN established the six evidence-based, relationship-centered standards to cultivate healthy work and care environments. Those standards focus on skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition and authentic leadership.
The 2005 Silence Kills report sponsored by AACN and VitalSmarts found that 84 percent of physicians and 62 percent of nurses and other clinical care providers have seen coworkers taking shortcuts that could be dangerous to patients; however, less than 10 percent of healthcare workers voiced these concerns. Yet the 10 percent who do voice concerns have reported observing better patient outcomes, working harder, and feeling more satisfied and committed to staying in their jobs.
"To empower healthcare professionals to deliver the best quality care and ensure patient safety, we must create healthy work environments that foster effective communication and true collaboration. Meeting this goal is a priority that requires the effort and leadership of nurses and doctors," said Wanda Johanson, RN, MN, CEO of AACN. "We are thrilled the leading organizations in this field will be working hand-in-hand with us to support this vital endeavor."
AACN's Healthy Work Environments initiative is an in-depth and continued effort to engage nurses, their colleagues and employers to recognize the urgency and importance of changing behaviors and creating systems to improve the environments in which nurses and others provide patient care. ACCP, ATS, SCCM, and SHM will now work jointly with the AACN to raise awareness among their members and constituents of their role as individual healthcare providers in using the Standards to drive cultural change in America's hospitals.
"Medical errors and poor decision-making can occur anywhere in the health-care delivery system, but critical care environments have significant patient safety challenges that put patients and the health-care team at a greater risk for these errors," said Mark J. Rosen, MD, FCCP, President of the ACCP. "Patient-focused environments that emphasize safety standards, team collaboration, and effective communication are essential to provide optimal care."
Additionally, John E. Heffner, MD, president of the ATS, explains, "Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and deserve not only professional respect but a work environment that allows them to provide their skills, compassion, and leadership abilities in caring for patients. Critical care physicians within the ATS are committed to making this standard a reality not only because it is the right thing to do but because our patients' lives depend on it. These standards are increasingly important considering that nurses are now in dangerously short supply, especially in our nation's ICUs. Achieving the standard's goals will improve patient care and create a work environment that more nurses will want to join."
Charles G. Durbin, Jr., MD, FCCM, president of SCCM, said, "Clear, direct communication is the heart of true collaboration and the SCCM welcomes the opportunity of advancing this important agenda forward together."
Laurence D. Wellikson, MD, FACP, CEO of SHM, added, "The Society of Hospital Medicine and our nation's more than 15,000 hospitalists are proud to join with AACN in this effort to create the 21st century healthcare which will be patient centered, based on evidence with quality outcomes and delivered by teams of dedicated health professionals. Together we can create the best and safest hospital experience for the patients we serve."
The AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments, is available at http://www.aacn.org/hwe . There have been more than 125,000 downloads of the standards since its release.
About AACN
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 400,000 critical care nurses. Its headquarters are located in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Founded in 1969, the association has more than 240 chapters and is working toward a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families, where critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. Complete information about AACN is available on the Internet at http://www.aacn.org/ .
About ACCP
The ACCP represents 16,500 members who provide clinical respiratory, sleep, critical care, and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. The ACCP's mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication. For more information about the ACCP, please visit the ACCP Web site at http://www.chestnet.org/ .
About ATS
Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society has more than 18,000 members who prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe, through research, education, patient care and advocacy.
About SCCM
The Society of Critical Care Medicine is the leading professional organization dedicated to ensuring excellence and consistency in the practice of critical care medicine. With 13,000 members worldwide, the Society is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to the advancement of multiprofessional intensive care through excellence in patient care, professional education, public education, research and advocacy. Members of the Society include intensivists, critical care nurses, critical care pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists, respiratory care practitioners and other professionals with an interest in critical care, including physician assistants, social workers and dietitians.
About SHM
The Society of Hospital Medicine was established in 1997 to support and enhance the practice of hospital medicine, the nation's fastest-growing medical specialty. Today SHM is the nation's leading resource for hospitalists, physicians whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients. Over the past decade, research studies proving that hospitalists decrease patient lengths of stay, hospital costs and patient mortality rates while increasing patient satisfaction have galvanized the hospital medicine profession, spurring demand for hospitalists nationwide. Today there are approximately 15,000 hospitalists in the U.S. and Canada, with that number expected to grow to 30,000 by the end of the decade. SHM's more than 6,000 members receive continuing medical education, leadership and career resources, and access to the latest research and news through member publications and conferences. For more information about hospitalists or the Society of Hospital Medicine, visit http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/ . For information about careers in hospital medicine, visit the SHM Career Center at http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/careercenter .
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
CONTACT: Marilyn Petterson of American Association of Critical-CareNurses, +1-949-362-2050, ext. 502
Web site: http://www.aacn.org/hwehttp://www.aacn.org/http://www.chestnet.org/http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/careercenter
Source: PRNewswire
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