Question

The nurse manager overhears a nurse say, "I'm not going to fill out an incident report because it will be used against me." What response by the nurse manager is most appropriate?

A. "Your concern is valid; you can skip the incident report."
B. "Incident reports are not meant for blame but for improving processes."
C. "Don't worry; I won't include your name in the report."
D. "You're right; incident reports only lead to disciplinary action."

Answer 1

The best response the nurse manager can give is that incident reports are not for assigning blame but for process improvement, emphasizing that such reports are tools for enhancing patient safety, not for disciplinary action. The correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse manager overhears a nurse who is reluctant to fill out an incident report due to fear of it being used against them, the most appropriate response is B. "Incident reports are not meant for blame but for improving processes."

This emphasizes the proactive and constructive nature of filing incident reports in the healthcare field. It is essential to ensure that staff understand incident reports are tools to enhance patient safety and quality of care by identifying and addressing systemic issues, not for penalizing individuals.

It is a common misconception that incident reports will lead to punitive consequences. The primary goal of these reports is to learn from each event and prevent future occurrences by making necessary changes to policies or procedures. It is a non-punitive process that encourages transparency and continuous improvement in the healthcare environment.