The Nursing clinics of North America
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Resistance to antibiotics is economically and physiologically costly. Control of antibiotic resistance will require aggressive implementation of numerous strategies. Ongoing surveillance is needed to monitor known antibiotic types and to be able to identify the development of other potential types. ⋯ Active management of infections with non-pharmacologic treatments should be promoted. Motivational campaigns will reinforce positive infection control behaviors. Consistent surveillance of antibiotic use will help fulfill the CDC directive to combat antibiotic resistance and keep the population healthy.
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Medication errors are costly from human, economic, and societal perspectives. All patients are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of these errors. ⋯ An important goal for healthcare organizations should be to create a culture that accepts the imperfection of human performance and solicits the assistance of team members in the development of safeguards for error prevention. Proposed interventions to prevent medication errors can be described by the PATIENT SAFE taxonomy, which includes: Patient participation; Adherence to established policy and procedures; Technology use; Information accessibility; Education regarding medication safety; Nonpunitive approach to reporting of errors and near misses; Teamwork, communication, and collaboration; Staffing: adequate number and staffing mix; Administration support for the clinical goal of patient safety; Failure mode and effects analysis with team member involvement; Environment and equipment to support patient safety