Re: less interruptions help nurses reduce drug errors Originally Posted by HuggyPuglet 
The idea sounds worthy, but as a floor nurse I get to know my patients very well as I work with them throughout their admission. I know what drugs they are on, and sometimes catch something that the patient is saying or symptom that is new to the patient and will call the MD about it for notification to the MD and to see if he/she still wants a particular medication given. I am having serious questions that a "med pass nurse" will have that insight only because they won't know the patients as well as the floor nurse who is with the patient from admission to discharge. Am I out of line on this or does anyone else have this queasy feeling?
I wouldn't say out of line, but the other view would be that a medications nurse would hopefully be a bit more objective. Just this morning I heard a nurse say that two of her patients were a lot alike. It's possible for patients with similar histories and co-morbids to blur together. So was it Patient A with the CVA, GERD, DM, and a UTI or Patient B with the CVA, GERD, DM, and a UTI, and an allergy to sulfa that you wanted to write a note to the doc about? Forcing oneself to NOT rely on memory is widely recognized as a safety "best practice" in many industries. And haven't you asked someone to take a fresh pair of eyes to an issue and have the real problem just jump out at them?
Frankly, I like what I've seen in the research effort. It reminds me of the safety and human factors research that have been done for a long time in other industries. I think it's important and valid to ask the question "what can we make less error prone?"
Equally valid is the feeling that our "whole" view of the patient is under attack. It isn't. We're so short of nurses these days that we accept impossible workloads with a smile. We should embrace -- not shun -- tools and practices that can cut worry and doubt from our day. But I can't say the feelings of being under siege don't exist. It will take more than group hugs, pizza, and sewing kits with a cute motto and the hospital logo to convince real nurses that real research leads to real value and real gains in patient safety. Really.
A few years ago a former Coast Guard Commandant said, "the endpoint of doing more with less is doing everything with nothing". Sound familiar?
Is SOMEONE getting that call bell? It'll just take a second!
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