Chasing Zero

Chasing Zero Video Summary
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Chasing Zero Video Summary
Although healthcare facilities strive to provide quality healthcare to their clients, often some individuals are unintentionally harmed. Preventable patient harm affects one in every 20 patients in healthcare settings. Of those affected, 13 % of the preventable harm is severe (Panagioti et al. 2017). The Chasing Zero documentary is a response to the catastrophic systems that have led to healthcare harm and resulted in the death of several Americans. In the video, Dennis Quaid narrates how his twin babies were overdosed twice with blood thinner heparin. Chasing Zero is a patient education program targeting caregivers, healthcare leaders, and consumers to ensure patient safety. By enlightening them, they can be able to act and prevent healthcare harm.
Nurses are at the center of healthcare systems and should, therefore, adopt practices that ensure patient safety. Quaid shares several stories to reveal the barriers, extent, and consequences of medication errors in healthcare systems. It is important to acknowledge that human error is unavoidable. However, by investing in healthcare patient safety can be achieved. The current system is characterized by failing support systems that cannot keep up and result in hospital infections. Quaid’s documentary provides invaluable insights into eradicating patient accidents due to medical errors.
Most of the mistakes Quaid describes were avoidable and included; fatigue, identical medical tubing connectors, packaging of medication, similar IV fluid bags and other errors that endanger patients.

Panesar and colleagues (2016) argue that preventing healthcare harm is associated with refining healthcare policy. The experiences Quaid shared called for discussions that resulted in the adoption of The National Quality Safe Practices for better healthcare. It is essential for common types of preventable patient harm to be identified across healthcare settings and policies, standards and practices be improved to minimize preventable patient harm.
References
Panagioti, M. Khan, K. Keers, R. Abuzour, A. Phipps, D. Bower, P. Avery, T. Ashcroft, D. (2017). Preventable Patient Harm across Health Care Services. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Panesar, S.S., deSilva, D. Stevens, C. Cresswell, M. Salvilla, S. Slight, S. Netuveli, G. Larizgoitia, I. Donaldson, L. Bates, D. Sheikh, A. (2016), How safe is primary care? A systematic review. BMJ Quality & Safety. Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.