From the Editor
It’s summertime! Time to kick back, relax, and do a little reading.
The study we highlight below is fascinating and thought provoking. Pour yourself something cold, sit down in a cool spot and enjoy.
When you see something being done inappropriately in the OR–a shortcut being taken, a protocol not being followed, a colleague being disrespectful–do you speak up about it?
According to a new study, “The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren’t Enough to Save Lives,” many nurses don’t–especially when the topic is politically risky or emotionally charged.
It’s natural to want to avoid confrontation. But in the OR such silence can be catastrophic and even deadly.
The new study is a joint effort by AORN (The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses), AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) and VitalSmarts, a training company that focuses on crucial conversations. It builds on a 2005 study, “Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare.”
“The Silent Treatment shows how nurses’ failure to speak up when risks are known undermines the effectiveness of current safety tools,” the study states. “It then focuses on three specific concerns that often result in a decision to not speak up: dangerous shortcuts, incompetence, and disrespect. The Silent Treatment tracks the frequency and impact of these communication breakdowns, then uses a blend of quantitative and qualitative data to determine actions that individuals and organizations can take to resolve avoidable breakdowns.”
Click to read a PDF of the study report.
Last month Gracie Parsons, daughter of NIFA Surgical Education Director Dean Parsons, was named Omaha’s Best Soccer Player–Girls Player of the Year. She’s shown here with her proud mom. You go, Gracie!