Risk Management

For the last unit of the course, this was a good one to bring some things together.  I always knew that part of the nurse manager’s job was putting out fires and dealing with problems, but I don’t think I really ever would have thought to call it risk management, but that is exactly what it is and what things escalate to require when not managed at a smaller level.  It was good to learn more about the risk management process and to look at ways to manage the problems that persist.  I have also come to realize the importance the risk management plays in health care, and how much it encompasses. 

I really liked the discussion and the lecture from the risk management person for the south region at IHC.  She helped to put some things into perspective.  She helped explain things in a way that helped risk management make more sense.  The discussion also helped to really make me think about how things happen and the ramifications of our actions.  The scenario is something that I have had to deal with, in the fact that I’ve had very combative patients that needed to be restrained, and I have had similar thoughts to the nurse in the scenario, I’m just glad that nothing happened, but it makes me think about the problems that can arise. 

This information, as I stated above, will have a number of uses in my career, whether I get into management or not.  This is definitely helpful for charge nurses, but also for the staff nurse, and thinking about the actions that we have.  As we are in health care, we will always be scrutinized and looked at through a magnifying glass.  We need to make sure to protect our licenses, as that is our livelihood.