Publisher Taps BWH Nurses to Write about Technology, Medication Safety

Four BWH nurses helped write the book on patient safety. Joint Commission Resources, a private consulting company that provides educational services and produces publications aimed at improving patient safety and care quality and helping health care organizations meet the Joint Commission’s accreditation standards, this year published, “The Nurse’s Role in Medication Safety.”

The publisher turned to BWH for its chapter on technology, “Using Technology to Help Nurses Improve Medication Safety.” Patrice Nicholas, DNSc, MPH, RN, ANP, director of Global Health Nursing and Academic Partnerships; Anne Bane, MSN, RN, manager of Clinical Systems Innovations; Carol Luppi, BSN, RN, nurse educator for technology in the Center for Nursing Excellence; and Laura Mylott, PhD, RN, director for Teaching, Innovation and Evidence-Based Practice, collaborated on this chapter that details BWH’s use of eMAR and Alaris SmartPumps.

Written especially for nurses working in a variety of health care settings, “The Nurse’s Role in Medication Safety,” focuses on the critical thinking skills needed to support safety; interdisciplinary roles in medication administration; organizational challenges to safe medication administration; and the need for teamwork, excellent communication and a focus on human-factors engineering in developing a culture of safety.

“The Brigham and Women’s Hospital has advanced the work of safe medication administration nationally and internationally thus supporting our goals of patient safety at BWH,” said Nicholas. “This Joint Commission Resources text advances the goals of safety and provides nurses with practical strategies and real-life examples to improve medication safety at BWH.”