Today we talked about just culture. We talked about the importance of leadership. The quote I will take with me from today’s presentation, “having the kind of leadership and leadership not being about punishing and blaming but about using every single instance of anything gone wrong as a process of learning from the event.” I want to take this quote with me, and remember about the leaders I admire as they lead by example. Often it is easiest to blame the person or the problem, but often discovering the problem is easy. But what are we doing to fix the problem? How can we, as individuals, go about a resolution to a problem alone? Instead of doing it alone, don’t look at one part of the process to blame, but instead the systems that were established, that don’t prepare us with the tools to succeed. We must come together; analyze problems together as a team, as a unit, and figure out processes we can change that will provide better outcomes for the patient, as they will prepare us for the adverse events that could populate from any single event.
I believe the idea of blame is a synonym to complaining. Complaining about issues only leads to a negative environment, which leads to a snowball event. A negative environment leads to negative energy from everyone in the environment. With everyone being unhappy leads to an unsafe work environment. Negative environments will lead to loosing the staff necessary to run the organization and creating an unsafe work environment. Which in turn will lead to burnout, disinterest/hopelessness in our profession. An unsafe work environment leads to distractions. Distractions leads to providing unsafe care and harm to the patient will be more common. It’s just one bad thing after another.
Blaming and complaining are easy. But having the privilege to attend this conference. Having the privilege of the new connections we have made to the amazing faculty who truly support us, and who have provided us with the tools to make a change. We owe it to them to be help be part of the change. We need to continue their work and empower those we work with to help us create more positive energy, a happier work environment, which in term will create safer outcomes for patient. Remember why we chose the profession we did. Remember the reason you are in the healthcare profession, and most importantly always put yourself in the patient’s shoes. Put them first, as you would want the best care for: yourself, for your family, for your friends, when they are in the positions of our patients. Also remember the patient is the responsibility, the accountability, of the team. It is only with a team effort that we can provide safe and quality care for any one patient.