Hospitals and other healthcare facilities play an important role in maintaining the health and wellbeing of our communities. Doctors, nurses, technicians, administrators, housekeeping, and food service employees all contribute to the larger goal of helping those under their care. That’s why ensuring the safety of staff members is critical to meeting a facility’s goal of providing excellent patient care. Promoting a culture of safety within an organization ensures all employees know what to do in case of an emergency or other significant issue.
But in what ways can healthcare worker safety be improved? Given how busy healthcare providers are, it can be difficult to squeeze time into staff schedules to train employees on workplace safety. However, providing proper training initiatives is vital to the overall success of an organization. Here are some things to keep in mind while fostering workplace safety at your facility:
Benefits of Investing in Your Organizations Safety
Although the advantages of creating a safe workplace culture are apparent from the get-go, there are way more far-reaching benefits than you may initially realize. The most obvious reason to invest in your organization’s safety is your staff’s health and well-being. By having safe and healthy workers, you not only reduce the costs of worker’s compensation claims but also have fewer days of missed work. With more hands on deck, you’ll have one less cause of staffing shortages to worry about.
An existing program helps create an environment where safety improvements are not only discussed but also implemented. Given how healthcare workers are readily exposed to infectious diseases, their safety and health are of the utmost importance. In fact, the healthcare industry has among some of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses.
Additionally, a clean safety history is also an important factor in your organization’s reputation and patient satisfaction. If healthcare workers aren’t healthy, they’ll have trouble providing the high-quality care that patients need.
Are Your Managers Helping to Promote a Culture of Safety?
All organizations should have dedicated safety officers that work together with other staff to improve workplace safety and culture. But what does the government say about it? The US Department of Labor website states:
“Several studies have found organizational factors to be the most significant predictor of safe work behaviors. Studies have shown compliance with standard precautions was increased when workers felt that their institution had a strong commitment to safety and when institutions targeted interventions at improving organizational support for employee health and safety. Also, safety culture has an important influence on the implementation of training skills and knowledge.”
5 Ways to Improve Your Organization’s Safety Culture:
Training
Offer accessible and thorough training for staff. By using a digital learning platform, both employees and management can monitor course progress.
Continue to Improve
Always look for ways to improve your organization. Consider starting a safety committee composed of employees from different departments to get a clear picture of what improvements can be made for workplace safety.
Easy Access
Staff should have access to your health care safety plans and procedures at all times. Rather than deal with the hassle of paperwork, uploading all the healthcare worker safety plans to cloud-based software will streamline the process.
Improve Records
Improve your organization’s incident report procedures, record keeping, and tracking system. This step is also a breeze with the help of healthcare software, as storing records and reports in a centralized location keeps it organized.
Management Is Committed
Make sure that management is leading by example and taking safety seriously. When everyone is on the same page, improving workplace safety is a far more attainable goal.
Healthcare Worker Safety Is Made Easy With MedTrainer
There are many facets to workplace safety when it comes to healthcare facilities. It can be an incredibly time-consuming process for both management and employees. Yet, with the help of MedTrainer, your organization can create a culture of safety for everyone. Our all-in-one software solution can streamline your facility’s approach to safety through training, implementation, and monitoring. From healthcare credentialing software to healthcare compliance reporting to workplace safety initiatives, MedTrainer is changing the way our industry operates. For more information, contact us today!