Performance improvement in transfusion medicine. What do nurses need and want?

Transfusion medicine is a complex process dependent on a variety of professionals interacting effectively and efficiently across time and distance. To perform safely, professionals depend on their own knowledge and skills, the knowledge and skills of others, and the overall effectiveness of operating systems. Nursing is an essential link in the process. To be effective, nurses need to practice in environments that recognize the importance of reducing error and improving safety through use of nonpunitive system approaches to analyzing near misses and errors. The "off-with-their-heads" approach must be eliminated. To increase efficiency, pathologists and nurses should collaborate on form development, evaluation, and implementation. Documentation regarding transfusions needs to be simplified and coordinated. Knowledgeable staff is an essential element of safe systems. Basic knowledge should never be assumed. Mechanisms to monitor knowledge of key processes along with ongoing feedback and remediation are necessary to maximize performance. Working together, nursing and transfusion specialists will improve transfusion services.