Organizational and individual attributes influencing patient risk detection

This study examined organizational and individual variables impacting patient risk detection by Intensive Care Unit nurses and their decision to reduce the risk of failure to rescue. Thirty-four nurses were randomly assigned to two groups. A video of a manager and staff nurse patient safety discussion was used to prime one group to prioritize patient safety. Participants provided demographic information, received end-of-shift report on two fictional patients, experienced 52 alarm trials during a medication preparation scenario, and completed the Safety Attitude Questionnaire. No difference existed in risk detection; however, nurses who perceived their work environment quality to be good correctly ignored a clinically irrelevant alarm more often and were more apt to classify an alarm as irrelevant. They chose to reduce the risk of medication error rather than that of failure to rescue. This information can assist nurses to balance disregarding distractions with responding to potential patient risk signals.