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The S.A.F.E.T.Y. First initiative at Valley View

June 26, 2020

At Valley View, patient safety is the foundation of all our efforts which is why, in 2016, we began our journey to become a high reliability organization (HRO). HROs are organizations that operate in high risk and complex industries – such as air travel and healthcare – and maintain a high level of safety over long periods of time. In order to accomplish this, HROs have systems in place to support their work and avoid potentially devastating errors. The S.A.F.E.T.Y. First initiative at Valley View is how we aim to prioritize the safety of each of our patients and a commitment that is deep, consistent, and ongoing.

The 10 safety tools of S.A.F.E.T.Y. FIRST AND WHAT WE DO TO KEEP YOU SAFE 

SUPPORT THE TEAM 

1. Team Checking
Team Checking is how we actively look out for each other in order to catch mistakes while at the same time building a greater sense of accountability. This is the Valley View version of “I’ll look out for you and you look out for me”. 

2. Team Coaching
Team Coaching is about helping others do the right thing and expecting that they will help us to do the right thing, too. We do this to help each other, looking out for the team and our patients.

ASSERTION AND ESCALATION

3. ARCC
ARCC stands for ASK a question, REQUEST a change, voice a CONCERN, use the CHAIN OF COMMAND.
Speaking up for safety using ARCC can help Valley View staff assert a concern for a patient in a non-threatening way..

4. Stop the Line
When we stop the line, we stop for clarification of or interruption to a process when a significant threat to patient safety is perceived. We do this by saying what we see, what we are concerned about and what we want to happen to keep things safe.

FOCUSED ATTENTION TO DETAIL

5. STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Review)
STAR is a tool to prevent us from making skill-based errors — those unintended slips and lapses when we perform familiar, routine acts as if we’re on auto-pilot without even thinking. By adding intention to our critical tasks, we put patient safety first.

EXERCISE A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE

6. Validate and Verify
A tool Valley View staff uses to apply our critical thinking skills. First, we validate by thinking, “Does this make sense to me?” If the answer is “No,” we need to check things out by verifying. A questioning attitude is not just about asking questions. It also about questioning the answers.

TRANSFER CRITICAL INFORMATION

7. 5Ps
The 5Ps are intended to create a shared mental model of what is going on with a patien. A good handoff should emphasize what is different or unusual about that patient, and what their needs are. The 5Ps are:

  1. Patient: Who is to be handed off?
  2. Plan or Procedure: What happens next?
  3. Purpose of the Plan: What happened in the past that helps provide a reason for the plan?
  4. Problems: What is known to be different, unusual, or complicating about this patient?
  5. Precautions or Potential Pitfalls: What might be anticipated to be different, unusual, or complicating about this patient?

8. SBAR
Complete and accurate communication is a habit that ensures that we understand what we are being asked to do for a patient. SBAR is a type of content formatting to aid in remembering specific types of information that should be communicated. SBAR stands for:

  • SITUATION: What is the situation, problem, or issue?
  • BACKGROUND: What important information does the other person need to know?
  • ASSESSMENT: What is your read of the situation?
  • RECOMMENDATION OR REQUEST: What do you need the other individual to do or what is the recommended course of action?

“YES!” THAT’S CORRECT

9. Three – Way Read and Repeat Back
For information to be transferred effectively we need to utilize closed loop communication. This technique prevents miscommunication errors and misunderstandings that could lead to terrible accidents by confirming that we understood the information that was shared and can attend to our patient’s needs.

10. Communication Clarifiers
This tool is used to insure good communication between caregivers. Studies have shown that the probability of making a wrong assumption is reduced 2½ times when you ask clarifying questions when receiving critical information.

 

 

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