October safety behavior: 'Ask clarifying questions'
The safety behavior of the month, part of USA Health’s Safety Starts With Me initiative, is discussed and practiced at huddles and in departments. This month’s safety behavior is part of the universal skill "Speak up for safety."
An effective way to ask more clarifying questions during October is to commit this introductory phrase to memory: “I have a clarifying question.”
Your colleagues will appreciate you speaking up for safety.
“The goal is to make sure that you really understand what’s being communicated so that you don’t make a decision based on a wrong assumption,” said Becky Pomrenke, M.S.N., RN, CNL, CNS, patient safety manager for USA Health. “When you speak up, remember to phrase your questions in a manner that will give an answer that improves your understanding of the information.”
For example, imagine that you have an appointment on a particular date and time, but you receive a call or a text confirmation showing different information. “We can ask a clarifying question to ensure that everyone is on the same page and we show up on the correct date and time,” Pomrenke said.
Asking clarifying questions can reduce the risk of making an error by two and a half times, she added.
The safety behavior of the month, part of USA Health’s Safety Starts With Me initiative, is discussed and practiced at huddles and in departments across the health system.
