Human Factors and Safety

Human Factors & Safety
Sandra Stafford
State College of Florida
A human error is an unintended action or decision.We are all prone to making errors regardless of the training one has because human error is inevitable, however, much a person may be smart. The way that a brain responds to and processes information may negatively affect the performance of a nurse such as medication administration. It is one of the human factor issues that has been identified. Such errors have proven to be very costly hence the need to address factors that influence behavior in ways health and safety are affected.
Human errors often occur due to lack of proper training before engaging in a particular task resulting in them making wrong decisions that they believe to be right (Reddy, 2016). However, there are various processes or tools that can help minimize such errors. They include standardizing procedures and using double checks can help minimize the likelihood of error. Technology can also be used to mitigate such errors.
Technology can help improve the communication speed, access databases containing various kinds of information and transfer of data over longer distances. Errors can also be solved by taking the nurses through frequent training on health and safety (Reddy, 2016). Encouraging healthcare professionals to avoid multi-tasking and perform one task at a time can also help prevent errors caused by lack of concentration.
It is critical for a clinical practitioner to identify such human factors in the course of carrying out their duties and find ways to solve them.

Lack of concentration when issuing out medication to a patient, for example, can cause over/under dose to the patient. I have witnessed various cases where patients die because of errors attributed to nurses. Also, performing a procedure on a patient without the proper knowledge can prove to be very detrimental.
Reference
Reddy, C. (2016). How to Control or Avoid Errors in your Work: 15 Awesome Tips – WiseStep. WiseStep. Retrieved 2 February 2018, from https://content.wisestep.com/control-avoid-errors-work-awesome-tips/