Overview
A key element of the hospital nurses role is to recognise and respond appropriately to patients who are becoming more unwell.
However, in a recent Nursing Times survey, one in three respondents admitted that they could recall at least one situation in the previous month where nurses had failed to detect a patient whose physiological condition was deteriorating in hospital.
This has dire consequences, particularly for patient outcomes, but also for hospital safety indicators such as cardiac arrest rates and mortality ratios. It also results in significantly increased costs. In the current financial climate, addressing this crucial issue is a real priority.
From the people that bring you the Patient Safety Congress, this important new conference is essential attendance, not only for all nurses, but also for anyone involved in patient safety, clinical governance, intensive and critical care, risk management, service and quality improvement.
There is a consistent body of evidence that demonstrates that patients who become, or at risk of becoming unwell on general wards often receive sub-optimal care. This important new event from Nursing Times provides a practical opportunity to address this critical issue and to develop the skills of nurses to recognise and respond appropriately to deteriorating patients.
