Maryland Patient Safety Conference: what challenged me the most?
“In order to be a leader, you must have strong beliefs and know what you believe” -Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the 9th Annual Maryland Patient Safety Conference. The keynote, presented by Rudy Giuliani, challenged us to be leaders in healthcare, even when setting high goals was unpopular. I left the opening session feeling empowered to return to my unit and be a leader in safe patient care.
In somber contrast to the empowering keynote, my first breakout session was on the Office of Health Care Quality Annual Update on Reported Adverse Events. After reviewing adverse events reported over the past few years, we explored the root cause analysis. Sadly, staff complacency was identified in many of these events.
After reviewing my notes from the conference, there are two points that have challenged me the most.
First, I believe that we must all be leaders in patient safety. We have to set high goals and hold those around us accountable. Questions we can ask ourselves: What are the core measures on our units? How can we make an impact to improve clinical outcomes in those areas?
Secondly, because we are committed to patient safety, many of the strategies, such as SBAR and TeamSTEPPS, are already in place at AAMC. I commit to vigilantly follow these guidelines. Join me in this.
After attending this conference, I felt proud to be part of AAMC, where nurses are empowered to ensure patient safety is a priority. I returned to care for my patients as a better nurse, prepared to set and reach high goals for patient safety. -Karen MacPherson, RN
Post your comment