Patient satisfaction and costs associated with insulin administered by pen device or syringe during hospitalization. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 65(14), p
Regardless of the accessibility of insulin pens, hospitals have continued to use vials and syringes for subcutaneous injections. One reason that insulin pens have not used in many hospitals is because there was no automatic safety feature that would prevent accidental needle sticks in health care workers (Davis, Christensen, Nystrom, Foral and Destache, 2008)
Studies have shown that patients do in fact prefer insulin pens to vial and syringe and believe that that pen devices are more convenient, provide greater lifestyle flexibility, clinical efficacy, and improve their quality of life. There also may be clinical benefits in using insulin pen delivery devices for patients with type 2 diabetes (Kruger, 2008)
g., electronic tools), as well as enhanced patient safety (Almidei, 2010)
Exceptional healthcare system alterations, in the form of financial pressures, regulatory mandates for improving patient safety and care quality, uncertainty of healthcare reforms' direction, technological advances, patient population change and emerging workforce deficiencies, are affecting care in every practice setting. These changes may prove be a challenge to decisions pertaining to resource allocation, and may negatively affect work environment in the health sector (Chiarella & McInnes, 2008)
Influence arises from capability, authority, and trustworthiness. Bearing in mind others' best interests creates a feeling of believability and trust (Page, 2004)
This paper deals with being a nurse advocate for regulatory agency mandates aimed at improving patient safety and care quality. The nurse advocate's roles here include: presenting to patients the patient rights code of the hospital; handing out the patient rights manual to them; confirming patient understanding regarding who must be approached with concerns or queries; preventing complaints through counseling with managers and supervisors who observe an emerging issue; proposing potential solutions to complaints that may arise; changing practices that cause frequent complaints; hearing complaints from patients and patients' families and documenting them, as well as determining what solution is sought; resolving complaints by lending an ear to clients and families; leading them to supervisors or physicians and assisting them in presenting facts to any supervisor/physician; formulating satisfactory resolutions and ensuring follow-up; alerting hospital administrator and legal department through documentation of unsettled complaints and possible legal actions; improving quality results through analyzing, evaluating, and restructuring patient complaint systems, and applying changes; serving and protecting the health service community resorting to professional standards, local, state and federal standards and requirements, and hospital procedures and policies; and enhancing hospital reputation and patient advocacy by assuming ownership to accomplish different and novel requests; seeking opportunities for adding value to workplace activities (Tomajan, 2012; Chiarella & McInnes, 2008)