NORFOLK, VA – Hospital administrators want to crack down on medication errors and they are willing to go to any length to do it. New studies show that many medication errors occur as nurses check out medications at the Pyxis machine and subsequently as they walk to deliver the medication to the patient. Root-cause analysis of these errors have demonstrated that human factors such as being distracted are potential causes of these medication errors.
In order to help combat distractions, a new policy just approved by the hospital board will mandate all nurses to wear reflective yellow safety belts while checking out medications at the Pyxis machine.
“During the check out process and delivery of the medication, wearing the yellow safety belt is now mandatory and no one should approach or talk to that individual. Once the medication has been given to the patient and charted twice, the belt can come off and talking can resume,” said hospital administrators.
Administrators went on, “Nurses wearing the belt should not engage in any conversation and others should not engage nurses wearing the belt including visitors and patients.”
“Are you kidding me!” was the overwhelming response from several nurses.
“You really expect me to wear some yellow reflective belt, like I’m in the Army running at 05 dark 30. Hell no!” emphatically spewed ICU nurse Robert Stanley. “They can shove their reflective belts up you know what.”
Some nurses are taking a very different approach. Emily Richard, an ER nurse, loves the new idea and is using the reflective belts for another reason. “Yeah, so when I don’t want anybody to talk to me or to tell me what to do, I just wear the belt around the ED all shift. Works like a charm!” If someone asks her for help with a lab draw or a new IV bag, she just motions towards her safety belt and puts her hands in the air just like she doesn’t care.
Administrators thought the belts sounded like a great idea in theory, but it may have fallen short, just like the idea to make pain the 5th vital sign. Family members and patients now interrupt nurses even more to inquire about why they are wearing the belt.
“The belt is so comical,” said Allison Meadows, a medicine ward nurse. “It does absolutely nothing except create more conversations… about the damn belt. Why don’t they give us fewer patients per nurse, put less emphasis on bringing turkey sandwiches to patients for patient satisfaction scores, and increase our salaries. That’s how you really cut down on medication errors!”
This is a wonderful idea!!!!!!!!! No doubt it came from the office of overeducated, overpaid, over self important and under worked.
This would be funny if it wasn’t true. At least on the medical ward at General Leonard Wood Army hospital they do this exact thing. They call it “The Med Zone”
I actually would like a belt that would stop people from interrupting me… if it works on family members?
Ummm my hospital almost did this. I was in the meeting where a disturbingly similar idea was brought up!
Waaa…we hate change….
Does this mean the Good Idea Fairy has retired from uniform to work civi hospital admin? Cuz if so, I might be persuaded to reenlist. ;)
Unrealistic what about the telephone nurses carry in their pockets? Doctors returning phone calls or family members needing to talk to the nurse will not understand why the nurse is not answering her phone. I post my number in the patients room so they can call me directly. This saves time and avoids calling the desk clerk who then has to call me. Admisistrate something else please. J
the last sentence said it all less patient load more help per shift if not nurses then bring back the orderlies to help out one for one coverage
You are absolutely right….I was thinking much the same thing. The nurse that does this is not someone that I would want to work with…. I have worked with this kind of nurse….they don’t want to be bothered to help others, but are the first to complain when others are busy and can not help them. Eventually, nobody wants to work with that kind of nurse.
The biggest thing that I have seen or worked with that made a huge difference in medication errors was a bar code scanning system. Each patient ID band has a bar code on it that represents their patient number, each medication has a bar code also. The patient ID band is scanned and only the medications that are available to be given at that time will be accepted by the scanner. If a wrong medication is scanned or the correct medication is scanned but for the wrong time, a warning message appears. This was part of the update on electronic medical record keeping mandated by Obamacare…..I guess the VA is behind on that…. The reflective belt is a dumb idea.
“and puts her hands in the air just like she doesn’t care”
Word up!
This policy has been in place for several years in the UK, it works well.
This has been common practice in the UK for several years. The Nurse undertaking the meds round wears a red tabard. Works well.
Who was smoking the crack on this idiotic idea? It may trigger some admins to try it
Most hospitals will have to form a committee and have several meetings to talk the subject to death and by the time they make a decision everyone will forget what it is for, or something better will come along.
You wouldn’t like it so well if you were the nurse that needed her help, or, better yet, the deteriorating patient assigned to the nurse that needed her help….
Everyone should remember the 5 R's, an additional step. Change the belt to Red and its the 6 R's. for Narcs 2 people must sign, so do 2 wear the belt?
I need two of those!
seriously??? It's ok but what do you do when a patient distracts you? Here you ignore a patient you've committed a major offence. Healthcare seems to have become a "blame a nurse" system. so is there a new step in ACLS protocol? finish giving med, then circ…… I think in an ideal world it would work, but healthcare has so many unpredictable s.
Stupid what about bar code scanning duh!
Not sure this is a 'caring' issue. Maybe pay, hours, and nurse shortages should be fixed first before slapping yellow belts on to fix the issue.
Wow, no clue it was actually that widespread. Time to buy stock in yellow belts and vests!
Nurses USED to care about patient safety. Because so many are now too ignorant (or just do not care) to not bother anyone dispensing meds… THIS IDEA MAKES SENSE. The sad part is that it became necessary to implement it.
Please Chart that
Kaiser SanFran and ?
it is true: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=1799
they actually do this: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=1799
They actually do this http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=1799
I can see Caitlin Flood wearing that, for the reason above, STAY AWAY FROM THE NURSE WITH THE YELLOW BELT!
I am curious how they plan to enforce such a ridiculous rule…
I am appalled they picked yellow….A lot of fashion police will tell you ..no one looks good in yellow…lol
I like the Nurse’s approach of wearing it when she doesn’t want to be bothered or talked to…lol
Hahahaha!
Yes Carrie Heider Catalano then u don't have to talk to or help any else! Ha ha!
Now, you know they never do that.
Can we say "delay in patient care"
Hahaha I do appreciate wearing it when you don’t want anyone to talk to you! Nice!
Hahahahaha!!!
Can I wear it the whole shift?
I unfortunately got this story idea from actually seeing it in place on a medicine ward. I couldn’t believe it.
Those using Accudose machines will only need hard hats and safety goggles.
What idiot thought that one up??? It won’t stop families from talking to you! I walked in to work with my purse and coat on and a family member demanded Kleenex and washrags before I got my coat off!
Hmm theoretically sounds like a good idea.. But when u are working on the med surg floor with 5-7 pts its impossible not to be talked to when you are giving out meds as a nurse you are pulled in so many directions at once and u have to learn how to juggle
Sad thing is, I’ve worked in 2 CA hospitals where this is actually policy!!!
I know this is satire, and all…. but it could almost be true.
I’d like to wear this all the time at work, thank you very much
Meds*
Just put tape over your mouth while u pull meda
“Hospital administrators thought this was a good idea…” maybe they should ask someone who actually does the job first before making such ridiculous decisions.
It’s true…unfortunately :/