National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)

Table of Contents:

• National Patient Safety Goals
• Legal Notice
• Objectives
• What is the Purpose of the National Patient Safety Goals?
• Improve Accuracy of Patient Identification
• Improves the Effectiveness of Communication Among Caregivers
• Improves the Safety of Using Medications
• Reduce the Harm Associated with Clinical Alarm Systems
• Reduce the Risk of Health Care-Associated Infections
• Identify Safety Risks Inherent in Patient Population
• Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, and Wrong Person Surgery
• End of Course Exam

Course Content Example 1:

What is the Purpose of the National Patient Safety Goals?

The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) was created in 2002 to address specific areas in patient safety

Every year a panel of safety experts, the Patient Safety Advisory Group, advises the Joint Commission on emerging issues in patient safety

• The group consists of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, risk managers, and others with hands-on experience addressing patient safety issues in various health care settings

Using input from groups of practitioners, consumers, and organizations, the Joint Commission then decides which issues have the highest priority and set goals on how to solve them

• The goals are tailored to specific accreditation programs

This course will focus on Hospital National Patient Safety Goals

Course Content Example 2:

Improve the Safety of Using Medications

Label all medications, medication containers, and other solutions on and off the sterile field in preoperative and other procedural settings. NSPG.03.04.01

Decrease medication errors by making all medications and solutions easy to identify.

• Label medication or solution if not prepared, taken directly to patient, and administered
• Label and medication that is removed from its original packaging
• Include medication name, strengthen, amount, diluent name and volume, and expiration date/time
• Verify labels visually and verbally
• Throw away any unlabeled medications or solutions
• Unless it is a multi-use vial, throw away all labeled containers on the sterile field at the end of a procedure

Course Content Example 3:

Reduce the Risk of Health Care-Associated Infections

Comply with either the current Centers for Disease Control and Protection hand hygiene guidelines or the current World Health Organization hand hygiene guidelines - NSPG.07.01.01

Hand hygiene of health care staff is related to health care-associated infections

• Follow a program that is based on these guidelines
• Set goals, improve compliance, and provide feedback