Communication Breakdowns Undercut Effectiveness of Safety Tools, Negatively Impact Patient Outcomes

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and VitalSmarts will release findings from the study, "The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren't Enough to Save Lives," on March 22 in Philadelphia during AORN Congress.

The study of more than 6,500 nurses and nurse managers a five-year follow-up to the groundbreaking study "Silence Kills" reveals that healthcare professionals make calculated risks daily to not alert their colleagues when a safety tool signals potential harm. According to the study, 60 percent of healthcare workers report being in a situation where a safety tool worked and yet, two thirds failed to effectively speak up and solve the problem.

AACN and AORN two of the largest specialty nursing associations in the world with VitalSmarts, an innovator in research-based corporate training and organizational performance, partnered on the research to identify communication barriers that contribute to avoidable medical errors and provide solutions to improve patient outcomes.

A panel of prominent healthcare experts will discuss the implications of this new research:

- Dorrie Fontaine, RN, PhD, FAAN, dean and professor, University of Virginia School of Nursing

- Linda Groah, RN, MSN, CNOR, CNAA, FAAN, executive director/chief executive officer, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.

- David Maxfield, vice president of research, VitalSmarts, and lead researcher

- Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, professor, anesthesiology/critical care medicine and surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

To register for a free webinar related to this survey and hosted by AORN, visit: http://www.telenect.com/u/2xk40y5jpb