The levels of continuous duty and work hours for health care personnel are much greater than those allowed in the transportation and nuclear-power industries. In this article, the authors describe fatigue as a risk factor for impaired performance in healthcare. Residents often work long shifts back to back, with little to no sleep. The effects […]
Author: Jared Padgett
Inaccurate Information a Factor in San Jose Flood
While authorities monitored the Oroville Dam spillway repairs in late February, another disaster was in progress. 14,000 San Jose residents were forced to evacuate their homes as Coyote Creek overflowed. The problem appears to be a mismatch between expectations and reality. The flood occurred before the river reached its expected maximum flow. While the cause […]
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is a reliability-seeking organization in Cincinnati, Ohio. The hospital integrates the HRO characteristics of Preoccupation with Failure; Reluctance to Simplify; Sensitivity to Operations; Commitment to Resilience; and Deference to Expertise (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2015) into its strategic plan. Our journey toward becoming a high reliability organization focuses on improving reliability through […]
Explosion at Flamanville Nuclear Plant
On February 9, an explosion occurred at the Flamanville Nuclear Plant, followed by a fire. Officials confirmed that the explosion did not cause a radiation leak. A spokesman for EDF Energy indicated that the incident did not occur in the nuclear part of unit one, and that the fire was put out promptly. Though it […]
Emotional Impact of Patient Safety Incidents on Family Physicians and Their Office Staff
This study was designed to determine the emotional effect of patient safety errors on the physician and office staff. To avoid burnout and other problems, an outlet should be chosen to deal with psychological distress following an incident. The results of the study indicated that the level of emotional response was related to the duration […]