ABSTRACT
Objective:
To identify the types of interventions that should be included in an organizational protocol for responding to serious adverse events involving nursing staff.
Method:
A descriptive exploratory study was conducted in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain using a questionnaire.
Results:
248 nurses have participated. The respondents prioritized the following interventions for inclusion in the protocol: legal advice (86.5% of participants) and counseling (82.4% of participants). Over two-thirds of the nurses (69.3%) showed that they would like to receive guidance on how to record adverse events on the patient’s medical records, while 64.8% showed that they would like to receive advice on assurances and legal safeguards in relation to the health organization’s medical error notification system and 54.5% endorsed refresher training. Compulsory temporary or permanent transfer of nursing staff involved in adverse events was one of the least popular interventions (3.3% of participants).
Conclusion:
The nurses prioritized counseling, legal advice, training in communication techniques, and refresher training to address the consequences of adverse events and discarded the possibility of compulsory temporary or permanent transfer.
DESCRIPTORS:
Patient Safety; Medical Errors; Medication Errors; Nursing; Team