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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
If there is abuse, swift prosecution is paramount. It not only serves
as a deterrent for others, but it also removes the perpetrators from
your facility. While it varies, depending on your facility guidelines, at
a minimum the immediate supervisor must be notified. Typically fol-
lowing that, other levels of management may get involved, including
leaders from security and legal departments. Oftentimes state law or
your facility guidelines will dictate that you must report the incident
to the proper state entity (for example, a nurse would answer to the
board of nursing). Your facility guidelines should also include
whether to place the person on suspension, and when authorities
need to get involved. Check your current policy to make sure you
have a clear plan in place.
This issue clearly isn't going away, and while local, state and federal
efforts need to be
redoub-led, you can
also help fight patient
abuse. Education is
vital and may be in
fact the most useful
tool. The more infor-
mation disseminated
to the public and your
staff, the better. Don't
let patient abuse occur
on your watch. OSM
WWW.CYGNUSMEDICAL.COM | 800.990.7489
Mr. Landess (william.landess@pal-
mettohealth.org) is the corporate
director of anesthesia services for
Palmetto Health, located in Columbia,
S.C.
