NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY GOALS – ISSUE NO. 17

Last week The Joint Commission (TJC) announced its updated 2010 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG's). This week is International Clean Hands Week. This week is an excellent time to help your facility meet one of its NPSG's. NPSG 13.01.01 'Encourage patients' active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy. Your facility can show both the patient and their family members the importance of hand washing and its role in reducing infection. In fact TJC has a poster you can obtain called "Five Things You Can Do To Prevent Infections". What a great way to have a positive impact on your surgical patient and their family by reviewing their important role in reducing infection.