3 Patient and Provider Safety
Keeping patients and healthcare providers safe is a top priority in the hospital. Policies and procedures are implemented within the hospital to ensure safety. These measures prevent accidents, slow the spread of disease, and promote a high quality of care for patients.
Personal Protective Equipment
First, we will cover personal protective equipment or PPE. These protective equipment and supplies are designed to prevent or minimize providers’ exposure to chemical or biological hazards. We will discuss the purpose of each item and how to don and doff each item to reduce exposure to risks. Click through the list below to learn more about each type of PPE
Hand Hygiene
Effective hand hygiene is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your patients. Hand hygiene should be performed with hand sanitizer each time you enter and exit a patient room. This prevents the spread of germs in the hospital. Hands should always be washed with soap and water when they are visibly dirty or when you come into contact with bodily fluids.
- Proper handwashing procedures:
- Click here to learn about the proper handwashing technique. It may seem intuitive, but knowing how to clean your hands effectively while in the hospital is essential.
Safety During Patient Care Sessions
The safety of patients during occupational therapy sessions is of top priority. Here are a few steps to promote safety.
- Check with the nurse about the patient’s medical status and availability. Patients may have imaging or procedures scheduled throughout the day.
- Ensure the patient is wearing non-slip socks or shoes during functional mobility tasks to prevent falls or slipping.
- Use a gait belt when standing or transferring a patient. The gait belt allows the therapist to assist the patient during functional mobility tasks.
- Adjust assistive devices to appropriate heights. Walkers and canes should be adjusted to optimal height for each patient.
- Set bed and chair alarms before leaving the patient. These alarms notify hospital staff if the patient tries to get up independently. If you disable an alarm at the beginning of a session or believe a person may be at increased risk for falls, remember to set their bed or chair alarm before leaving the room.
- Ensure the patient’s call light is within reach before leaving the room. The call light is how patients notify their care team of their needs. The call light should be left within reach of a patient so they can contact their nurse as needed.
- Ask the patient if they need anything and leave important items (like cell phones, drinks, urinals) within reach so patients are less likely to try to get up on their own.
Precautions
Another critical component of patient safety is adhering to precautions following surgical procedures. Below is a review of some common precautions you may see while in the hospital. Other surgical procedures may have additional precautions, so check surgical notes to learn more. Additionally, the patient’s notes and activity orders should be referenced to determine if there are any weight-bearing restrictions. Select the green dots below to review common precautions after surgery.