Protecting your patients from harm Essay

1: Protecting your patients from harm and abuse Knowledge and Skills Framework core dimension Performance criteria (adapted from the Skills for Health database1) Recognising signs of risk 1. Look for factors that may lead to patients, staff and others, including yourself, being in danger of harm and abuse. 2. Look for signs that patients, staff and others, including yourself, may be in danger of harm or abuse or have been harmed or abused. This would include recognising and dealing with early signs of violent or aggressive behaviour. Health, safety and security 3. Find out what your employer says you should do if you suspect that someone is in danger or has been harmed or abused. 4. Make sure you know what to do when you suspect, or have been told, that a patient or member of staff is in danger of harm or abuse. 5. Identify the factors which allow abusive behaviour to happen and discuss these with colleagues and managers. 6. Consider your own behaviour and actions to make sure that they do not contribute to situations, actions and behaviour that can be dangerous, harmful or abusive. 7. Watch people’s behaviour, actions and situations to make sure that everyone in your workplace (including  any child and young person) is safe from danger, harm and abuse. 8. Identify possible sources and signs of danger, harm and abuse. 9. Recognise and deal  with early signs of violent or aggressive behaviour. Knowing what action to take 10. Work with patients, staff and others to identify and raise concerns about practices that: may lead to danger, harm or abuse of patients, staff and others, including yourself and are dangerous, harmful and abusive. 11. Report suspected or known danger, harm and abuse to the appropriate people. †¢ Avoid actions and statements that could affect how evidence can be used in future investigations and court proceedings. Keep to confidentiality agreements. Keep to your organisation’s policies. 12. Develop relationships with patients and family carers so that they feel able to raise concerns about possible and actual danger, harm and abuse to themselves and others. 13. Work with patients in a way that respects their dignity, privacy and rights. 14. Make sure you are honest with patients about your responsibility to pass on information about potential and actual danger, harm and abuse. 15. Take appropriate action when you see behaviour, actions and situations that might lead to danger, harm and abuse to people (including any children and young people) in your workplace. 16. Object to and raise concerns with appropriate people and organisations about practice or policies which may lead to danger, harm and abuse. 17. Work sensitively with patients and family carers, telling them who to report incidents of danger, harm and abuse to and how to report it. 18. Make sure patients and their carers know that you will listen to their reports and deal with them seriously. 19. Take immediate action if patients have been harmed or abused or are at risk of this. Protecting and recording evidence of harm and abuse 20. Report sources and signs of danger, harm and abuse to the appropriate person.  Avoid actions and statements that could affect how evidence can be used in future investigations and court proceedings. Keep to confidentiality agreements. Keep to your organisation’s policies. 21. Report any unusual or major changes in your patient’s health, cleanliness, physical care, actions and behaviour. 22. Use all available information to assess the concerns raised. 23. Avoid acting in a way or making statements that could affect how evidence can be used in future investigations and court. Support others to do the same. 24. Discuss any concerns with the appropriate people within the confidentiality agreements and your organisation’s policies. 25. Contribute to your organisation’s procedures and work within them for dealing with suspected harm and  abuse. 26. Accurately record and report suspected danger, harm and abuse. Include times, dates and explanations of incidents Avoid acting in a way or making statements that could affect how evidence can be used in future investigations and court proceedings. Keep to confidentiality agreements. Keep to your organisation’s policies.