Patient Safety

This book provides readers with both a foundation of theoretical knowledge regarding patient safety as well as evidence-based strategies for preventing errors in various clinical settings. The authors' goal is to help clinicians and administrators gain the skills and knowledge they need to develop safe patient practices in their organizations.
Key topics include:

• An overview of evidence-based best practices for patient safety
• Clear explanation of important patient safety policies and legislation
• Innovative uses of technology such as computerized provider order entry, barcoding medications, and computerized clinical decision support systems
• The importance of an informed patient in preventing medical errors
• How to communicate with the public and the patient about errors if they occur
• Special patient safety concerns for children, the elderly, and the mentally ill

Fifteen chapters by nurses, social workers, and consultants discuss theoretical aspects of patient safety and present evidence-based strategies for preventing errors in various clinical settings. Contributors discuss best practices, policies and legislation, technological innovations, special populations, and the role of nursing. Annotation © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Jacqueline Fowler Byers, PhD, RN, CNAA, CPHQ,is an Associate Professor, School of Nursing, College of Health and Public Affairs, at the University of Central Florida. She has over 25 years experience in health care in varied clinical, educational, and administrative roles. In all of these roles, Dr. Byers has pursued evidence-based practice and improved patient experience and outcomes. She has been actively involved in quality management, outcomes research, and patient safety for 10 years. Dr. Byers received her doctorate from the University of Florida in 1996. Her master's degree is from Vanderbilt University, and her bachelor's degree is from Duke University. She was in the inaugural class of the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship Program. Dr. Byers is the Research Editor of the Journal for Health Care Quality and serves as a peer reviewer for several journals. She is active in the National Association for Healthcare Quality and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Dr. Byers has received a number of awards and has over 60 publications and 100 presentations to her credit in the areas of health care administration, quality management, critical care, and outcomes and efficacy research.

Susan V. White, PhD, RN, CPHQ, FNAHQ, is the Associate Chief of nursing/Quality Improvement at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. Prior to this position she was the past Vice President/Quality Management of the Florida Hospital Association. She has over 20 years of experience in the health care field in administration, management, and clinical roles. She was the Associate Executive Director and Director of Nursing in a community hospital and developed the quality management program for a hospital in a network. Dr. White has health care experience in acute care including clinical, administrative, and informatics. She has a master's degree in nursing as well as her doctor in philosophy from the University of Florida. Her recent work has included Joint Commission activities, quality initiatives, clinical performance improvement and patient perception, educational programs, newsletters and patient safety. Dr. White is a sixth year Sterling Examiner for the Florida Sterling Council and teaches part-time at the University of Phoenix. She is a member of multiple professional organizations and is a Fellow in NAHQ. She is a member of the editorial board for the Journal for Healthcare Quality.