Hawaii hospitals are constantly busy.
Whether it is tourist injuries, residents needing care or other problems that come up, it is important to keep current on trends regarding patient safety.
Since nurses are a key link in the health care chain at hospitals and in any medical setting, they are witnesses to what is happening. In some cases, it is a nursing misstep rather than a doctor error that causes damage to a person leading to worsened condition, illness and fatalities.
People who have been impacted by any form of medical mistake should pay attention to what nurses say. A recent survey shows what nurses are thinking about the current state of medical care. Based on what they say, those who are looking for treatment are right to be worried about errors.
Survey indicates nurses are worried about staffing and patient risk
Researchers recently spoke to nurses about their concerns regarding patient safety. They lament the current problem with understaffing and how it could put patients in danger.
Of 400 nurses surveyed, 71% said staffing levels had left them with too many patients to effectively care for them. One in four stated this is a regular safety issue. This is three times the number of nurses who made the same complaint seven years ago.
Fifty-eight percent claimed that the number of patients compared to how many nurses were working to care for them was a major problem. For 70%, they lacked the time to provide patients with the necessary attention.
Ninety-four percent opined that the number of patients reduced the care they received. More than 60% said the number of patients resulted in an injury or their stay in the hospital needing to be extended. Forty-two percent reported that it cost a patient their life.
A growing number of nurses are also leaving the industry entirely, adding to the shortage of staff.
Medical errors can happen at any point in the process
Although the survey was conducted in another state, it is a microcosm of challenges that health care professionals are dealing with throughout the nation. Nurses are at the center of treatment and see what can happen if medical professionals are stretched too thin.
People who seek treatment in Hawaii and anywhere else need to think about whether there is enough staff to keep an eye on them and make sure they are getting the proper care.
Medical malpractice can come in many forms. There could be a wrong diagnosis, surgical mistakes, anesthesia errors, giving the wrong medication, not giving enough medication, giving too much medication, misidentifying patients, and more.
Those who suspect that they or a loved one was harmed because of a medical error at any point in the treatment and care process must remember that they have rights.