Mistakes Happen — But How Do You Respond When a Nurse Makes a Poor Decision?

April 18th, 2016

Being a manager in the healthcare industry can be stressful at times. One of the most difficult questions facing many medical team leaders is how to react when a nurse makes a poor decision. Being too lenient might lead to more mistakes by the nurse in question, while the opposite approach could hamper their professional development.

Ultimately, you need to analyze every situation separately before deciding on the best plan of action. Engendering an open culture where mistakes are discussed also helps prevent future incidents.

Every Situation is Different

If one of your staff makes a mistake, go over the details surrounding the incident as well as the professional history of the nurse. The severity of the mistake, the professional experience of the nurse, and whether or not they’ve had issues in the past all contribute to your final decision. The most important thing is to take the time to formulate a proper response, instead of reacting too quickly.

Every situation is different, and the best managers know how to properly tailor any discipline — if warranted — to the employee at fault. Newer nurses need to be treated with kid gloves, as opposed to a veteran medical professional who should know better. In both cases, using the mistake as a learning experience offers the best hope for the overall development of your nursing staff.

Mistakes Need to Be Discussed Openly

One of the risks of punishing nurses too severely for medical mistakes is it leads them to not being open about disclosing other similar issues in the future. This ultimately hampers their professional development and potentially leads to a degradation in patient care. Only by discussing mistakes are they able to be prevented over time.

Hospitals and medical offices need to put in place a system where open discussion improves the skills of their entire nursing staff. More engaged medical professionals and better patient care are the ultimate results.

In short, treat each mistake on its own, while developing a culture of openness to prevent further issues from hampering the overall quality of your medical office.

If you need additional insight on developing a top-notch healthcare team, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. One of the nation’s leading medical staffing agencies, we provide great candidates able to make a difference for you. Meet with us at your earliest convenience.

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