Crosswalk: the joint commission and centers for medicare and medicaid services pathway to patient safety and quality.

Perinatal nurses rely upon a myriad of resources in the course of providing care. Although not always appreciated by direct-care nurses, nurse managers, and administrators, regulatory and accrediting bodies exert a pervasive influence over the provision of care in almost every hospital in the United States. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency, and The Joint Commission (TJC) offering voluntary accreditation programs for hospitals hold a primary goal in common.

Safety of clinical and non-clinical decision makers in telephone triage: a narrative review.

Patient safety is a persistent problem in telephone triage research; however, studies have not differentiated between clinicians' and non-clinicians' respective safety. Currently, four groups of decision makers perform aspects of telephone triage: clinicians (physicians, nurses), and non-clinicians (emergency medical dispatchers (EMD) and clerical staff). Using studies published between 2002-2012, we applied Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model to examine groups' systems for evidence of system completeness (a minimum measure of structure and quality).

Conducting root cause analysis with nursing students: best practice in nursing education.

This article describes a novel approach that allows students to actively participate in a root cause analysis, whether the error was committed in the clinical setting or in the simulation setting. This process can develop student awareness of the responsibility and professional duty to participate in creating a safer patient environment.

Human factors and error in perinatal care: the interplay between nurses, machines, and the work environment.

Perinatal nurses work with intricate systems requiring frequent interface with complex technology. This interplay is strongly influenced by the work environment and systems operations. The interplay among worker, technology, and the environment increases the risk of medical error, adverse patient outcomes, and in some instances, healthcare team member injury.

Liability in triage: management of EMTALA regulations and common obstetric risks.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) affects all clinicians who provide triage care for pregnant women. EMTALA has specific regulations for hospitals relative to women in active labor. Violations can carry stiff penalties.