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Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are a target of safety improvement initiatives, as they are common and harmful. This guideline provides an update on recommended steps for organizations to support the implementation of CLASBI reduction efforts.

The advantages of automation can be safely achieved only when the technologies are implemented into processes that support their proper use in regular and urgent situations. This guideline outlines considerations for the safe use of computerized compounding devices to prepare parenteral nutrition admixtures with the broader application to other IV preparations in mind. Effective policy, training, system variation, and vendor partnerships are elements discussed.

Readmission reduction as an improvement measure has been found to be problematic as a maternal safety outcome. This statement shares concerns regarding incentivizing hospitalization reductions after birth and explores the potential for patient harm due to pressures to reduce readmissions when needed.

This position statement outlines recommendations from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses on core components of safe perioperative nursing and its role in strengthening patient safety. Elements discussed include error reduction, leadership engagement, and safe working environment..

Children with complex home care needs are vulnerable to medication errors. This guideline suggests strategies to enhance medication safety at home that include focusing on health literacy, prescriber actions, dosing tool appropriateness, communication, and training of caregivers. A March 18, 2022 webinar will highlight factors contributing to medication errors in the home and outline strategies to reduce their impact.

Mistakes in hospital dietary services can contribute to allergic reactions and patient malnourishment. This guidance shares an improvement approach to care environment food provision that considers clinical concerns and patient limitations as steps toward enhancing patient care.

Maternal and newborn safety is challenged during cesarean delivery due to the complexities of the practice. This guideline recommends specific checklist elements to direct coordination and communication between the two teams engaged in cesarean deliveries. The guideline provides a sample checklist and steps for its implementation.

This document shares goals and objectives to enhance use of automated dispensing devices for pharmacists, other practitioners, and information system professionals.

The Joint Commission issues sentinel event alerts to raise awareness regarding risks in the health care setting. This alert highlights physical and verbal violence as a major problem in the workplace, particularly in areas such as the emergency department and inpatient psychiatric units. Other factors associated with violence in health care settings include stressful conditions, understaffing, and lack of organizational policies for recognizing and deescalating hostile behaviors. The alert suggests numerous strategies health care organizations can take to mitigate workplace violence, such as establishing systems across the organization that enable reporting of workplace violence and developing quality improvement initiatives to reduce such incidents. A past PSNet perspective explored how a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center developed a process to improve workplace safety.

Revised June 2021. The Joint Commission issues sentinel event alerts to highlight areas of high risk and to promote rapid adoption of risk reduction strategies. This newly released alert focuses on violence in the health care setting, noting increasing rates of violent crimes such as assault, rape, and homicide, which are consistently among the top 10 types of sentinel events reported. Controlling access is viewed as a key protection strategy, and the alert also outlines techniques for identifying violent individuals and for training staff in violence management. The alert summarizes a series of suggested actions that will allow organizations to safeguard against these events. Adherence to sentinel event alert recommendations is assessed as part of Joint Commission accreditation surveys.

Smart infusions pumps with built-in dose error reduction software (DERS) are designed to protect against dosing errors that result in patient harm. This alert summarizes recommendations to enhance the effective implementation and use of smart infusion pumps such as drug library maintenance and pump error report monitoring.