Incident Reports and Unusual Occurances

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At my facility incident reports and unusual occurrences (IRs/UOs) are supposed to be used in a "non-punitive" way to correct so-called "system errors." But it has been my experience that this is a smokescreen, and the administration uses these reporting tools to evaluated employee competence. I know - I was written up for a med error a while back, and it felt anything but "non-punitive"!

Of course, med error reporting should be taken seriously. But I am just wondering how many nurses out there have experienced guilt-free reporting, or is this just a way to fool nurses into telling on themselves? What about at your facility? Any nurses out there get disciplinary action for UOs and/or IRs?

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

From my point of view, I wished I had that kind of feedback.. I am a new grad, I have been on the floor for 6 months and not a word from management. So for now I am taking no news as good news.

I have noticed at my hospital that if a mistake is made, it is brought to everyones attention so we all learn from them. Of course no names are used. I really like that.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.
From my point of view, I wished I had that kind of feedback.. I am a new grad, I have been on the floor for 6 months and not a word from management. So for now I am taking no news as good news.

I have noticed at my hospital that if a mistake is made, it is brought to everyones attention so we all learn from them. Of course no names are used. I really like that.

That's how writeups should be used, but different hospitals have different agendas. One hospital that was very afraid of being unionized had the staff writing each other up right and left. Makes it hard to organise a fiacility where everybody is at each others throats. Another place JCAHO complained that there were only 2 documented med errors in the entire ER for the last year. The entire ER staff got reamed because they said we couldn't be that good. I guess those are the extremes. JCAHO insists that writeups not be punitive, that instead they be dealt with as informative.

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I've seen guilt free reporting. Two insulin errors. No punitive action taken.

ETA: Not my errors, errors of others I've worked with.

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