Survey Finds 80 Pct of U.S. Doctors (admit to )Witness Mistakes

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[sSRI-Research] Survey Finds 80 Pct of U.S. Doctors Witness

Mistakes

 

 

 

 

Survey Finds 80 Pct of U.S. Doctors (admit to )Witness Mistakes

 

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Wed Jan 26, 5:08 PM ET

 

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eighty percent of U.S. doctors and half of nurses

surveyed said they had seen colleagues make mistakes, but only 10 percent

ever spoke up, according to a study released on Wednesday.

 

These mistakes are undoubtedly contributing to the deaths of tens of

thousands of people who die from medical errors in the United States each

year, the researchers and experts on nursing said.

 

Nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers need to be less shy about

speaking up about mistakes, incompetent colleagues and other problems that

can hurt patients, the report said.

 

Healthcare workers who do speak up are not only able to nip the problem in

the bud, but are also happier in their own work, said Joseph Grenny,

president of consulting group VitalSmarts, which conducted the survey.

 

Grenny's team surveyed 1,700 nurses, doctors, hospital administrators and

other experts for the study.

 

" Fifty percent of nurses said they have colleagues who appear

incompetent, "

Grenny told a meeting of clinical care nurses.

 

" Eighty-four percent of physicians and 62 percent of nurses and other

clinical care providers have seen co-workers taking shortcuts that

could be

dangerous to patients, " he added.

 

The survey found that 88 percent of doctors and 48 percent of nurses and

other workers felt they worked with colleagues who showed poor clinical

judgment.

 

A 1999 study by the nonpartisan Institute of Medicine (news - web sites)

found that up to 98,000 Americans die each year from medical errors in

hospitals. Last July, Lakewood, Colorado-based HealthGrades Inc. said the

true number was closer to 195,000 people a year.

 

The errors include giving patients the wrong drug or the wrong dose,

surgical errors and spreading germs through unhygienic practices.

" People frequently see these problems but too often they fail to talk

about

them, " Grenny said.

 

Why not? Because people fear confrontation, lack time or feel it is not

their job, Grenny said. Even doctors were afraid to question nurses

they saw

making errors, he said.

 

His survey found the 10 percent of workers who did speak up felt good

about

it.

 

" When they effectively confront a situation, it makes a difference, " he

said. " These people are also more satisfied with their workplace. "

 

Connie Barden, who helped author standards for the American Association of

Critical-Care Nurses, said nurses cannot be afraid to point out mistakes.

" Nurses must be as proficient at handling personal communication as

they are

in clinical skills, " she told the meeting.

 

 

2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or

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written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or

delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

2005 Inc. All rights reserved.

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