IHUMAN Case Study Abby Barton , and Answers with Explanations, Study Guide, A 13pages

Abby Barton, RN, has worked as a charge nurse in the medical-surgical unit at Community Hospital for the past 3 years. Because of her membership in the American Nurses Association (ANA), Abby knows about the serious concerns regarding patient safety brought to the public's attention through the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) To Err Is Human report, which details the high human and economic costs associated with errors that occur in health care facilities. Abby understands that the ANA and IOM agree that most errors result not from an individual's carelessness but from failures in the health care system. However, according to Community Hospital's medication error policy, blame for medication errors is assigned to an individual nurse, and error reports are placed in the individual's personnel file and may affect that nurse's performance evaluation. Abby believes that the hospital's current medication error policy is not adequate to promote system improvements that will reduce medication errors, and she has decided to approach her supervisor about how a policy change might be initiated. 1. In gathering data and information to support her case for a medication error policy that will address system improvements, what information from online and other resources is available to Abby?