Enhancing Health and Safety Implementation in Care Settings

Introduction

In the care settings, health and safety is implemented through policy guidelines that are informed to the management, workers and supervisors to be followed for preventing errors in care, mishandling of medical equipment as well as adverse care effects on the patients regarding their healthcare (Murray et al. 2018). Thus, in the care settings, it is the collaborative responsibility of the management and medical staffs to ensure health and safety at the workplace. The health and safety in care settings are essential to be followed in the care settings as it improves the quality of care as well as assure better safety of the patients. However, irrespective of its importance and value in many healthcare organisation the management and the staffs are unaware regarding the way health and safety principles are to be effectively implemented in the settings due to which adverse incidences are faced. Thus, in this study, the way health and safety in the care settings can be promoted and implemented are to be discussed to ensure protection for the service users as well as medical staffs.

Background of the Topic

The recent data regarding health and safety in the healthcare environment within the UK informed that nearly 4,600 patients have faced deaths in the last year due to improper safety and health management at hospital, ambulance trusts and mental health environment (theguardian.com, 2018). In the UK, within November 2018 and October 2019 nearly 4,356,277 patient safety incidences in the healthcare environment are reported (theguardian.com, 2018). This indicates that in the UK there is lack of effective implementation of health and safety within the care environment due to which increased deaths and safety issues by the patients are reported. The study by Hignett et al. (2018) mentions that lack of health and safety promotion and implementation in the healthcare environment negatively impact the patients as well as the medical staffs. It is evident as improper health and safety leads to compromise quality care support to the patients as well as lowers the morale and motivation of the healthcare staffs to work with proper effort. This is because such condition makes the medical staffs remain concerned regarding their protection and safety while at work in turn leading fail to concentrate on delivering productive care with better efforts. The study by Loeppke et al. (2017) mentions that safety issues in the healthcare settings are faced as result of shortage of medical staffs and healthcare practitioners. This is evident as it is reported 44,000 vacancies of nursing are present out of 106,000 general vacancies for healthcare staffs in the UK (unison.org.uk, 2019). There are various other factors apart from staff shortage which affects the promotion and implementation of health and safety in the care settings that are yet to be explored. Thus, the study is to be developed to determine such factors which are to be considered for promoting and implementing health and safety in the care setting, as well as the impact of the health and safety in the settings, are to be explored.

Aim

The aim of the study is to promote and implement successful health and safety services in care settings.

Objectives

To identify the factor which is to be considered for promoting and implementing health and safety in care settings

To assess the impact of health and safety implementation and promotion in care settings

To evaluate the challenges faced during the promotion and implementation of health and safety in care settings

To recommend the strategies to be used for resolving challenges faced during the promotion and implementation of health and safety in care settings

Methodology

The research methodology is referred to the specific procedures as well as techniques implemented by the researcher for identification, selection, processing and analysis of considered information regarding the topic of interest (De Brún et al. 2016). The methodology is essential in research as it allows the researcher to inform regarding the processes and design considered so that the study's overall reliability and validity are ensured to present well-structured research.

Research Design

The research designs are mainly of three types which include qualitative, quantitative and mixed research design. The Quantitative Research Design is referred to the systematic examination of any phenomenon through the collection of quantifiable data gathered through mathematical, computational or statistical techniques. In this nature of design, the data is collected from the existing and potential participants through use of different sampling methods the results of which gathered are represented in numerical format in the study. On the basis of the gathered numerical information, careful analysis is made to predict the information required in resolving the raised research questions (Bloomfield and Fisher, 2019). However, the Qualitative Research Design is related to the establishment of answers regarding the how and why of the phenomenon raised in the research question which is unlike the quantitative design. In this type of design, the data gathered are mainly in the subjective form in which through observation and interaction with the participants their perceptions, feelings and emotions are determined regarding the research topic to resolve the raised research questions (Holloway and Galvin, 2016). The mixed research design is the one in which both the qualitative and quantitative data are gathered to resolve the raised question in the study (Taljaard et al. 2018).

In this research, the Quantitative Research Design will be used for gathering information regarding the study topic. This is because quantitative design helps the researcher to execute the study in easier manner and within limited time while ensuring data consistency. Thus, using the design will resolve issues with increased cost management for the study as well as ensure less error in data to be experienced (Barrett et al. 2018). The quantitative design though allows enriched and in-depth data collection but the limitation is that the perception and feelings of the researcher may manipulate the data presentation resulting to use reliability and validity issues for the results collected (Barrett et al. 2018). Thus, to avoid error in data collection the qualitative design will not be used. According to the quantitative research design, survey will be organised by using close-ended questionnaires that are to be distributed among the participants to receive their response regarding the study topic.

Sampling

The samplings are mainly of two types which are probability and non-probability sampling. As asserted by Alzahrani et al. (2016), probability sampling is the process where large number of participants is chosen from the population in random manner. The participants who are determined to be included through probability sampling act in representing the while population. As criticised by Vearey et al. (2018), non-probability sampling is the technique in which the participants are selected on the basis of the purpose in the study. In this study, the probability sampling will be used because it ensures higher reliability in the study. Moreover, the probability sampling lower biases in the study and increases accuracy to estimate sampling error (Alzahrani et al. 2016). The non-probability sampling will not be used because it does not allow determination of the margin of error and reliability of the results. The probability sampling will choose 75 medical staffs working in the healthcare environment from a total population of 100 individuals to inform regarding the way health and safety in care settings can be implemented and promoted.

Ethical Consideration

The ethical consideration in the study is to be followed so that no violation of rules is faced which may lead to compromise the safety of the participants and raise legal issues in the study. The Data Protect Act 1998 refers that personal information of sample individuals is allowed for sharing publicly only with their due permission before the act (legislation.gov.uk, 1998). Thus, no information about the participants in the study will be shared without their prior consent. In order to achieve consent, the participants will be informed in details the purpose of the study and the way their responses are to be used. Moreover, the participants will be allowed to leave the study if they feel their privacy and confidentiality is hindered during the study.

Consent Letter

Title: How to promote and implement health and safety in care settings?

Investigator Information:

My name is ________ and currently I am acting as a student of the ________ College where I am pursuing my ________________ degree. The chosen topic of the research is essential as getting informed regarding the way health and safety can be promoted and implemented in care settings would assist me in protecting the safety of the patients as well as their health and act in improving the working environment in the settings. Thus, you as the participants are asked to provide your valuable responses to the questionnaires provided so that valuable data required by me in the study can be gathered.

Study procedure:

The research is executed by using close-ended survey questionnaires.

Risks of the Study:

There is minimum risk in the study as effective steps are taken to let the personal data of the participants confidential. In case you feel to skip any questions, you are allowed to avoid them.

Benefits:

The study would help you provide your opinion regarding the way safety and health in the care settings are to be improved at per your satisfaction.

Consent:

I confirm that I am taking part in the study with my own wish by understanding the purpose and the way my responses are to be used in the research.

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References

Alzahrani, T.A., Abaalkhail, B.A. and Ramadan, I.K., 2016. Prevalence of intimate partner violence and its associated risk factors among Saudi female patients attending the primary healthcare centers in Western Saudi Arabia. Saudi medical journal, 37(1), p.96.

Barrett, T., McEntee, E., Drew, R., O’Reilly, F., O’Carroll, A., O’Shea, A. and Cleary, B., 2018. Influenza vaccination in pregnancy: vaccine uptake, maternal and healthcare providers’ knowledge and attitudes. A quantitative study. BJGP open, 2(3). pp.23-45.

Bloomfield, J. and Fisher, M.J., 2019. Quantitative research design. Journal of the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses Association, 22(2), p.27.

De Brún, T., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., O’Donnell, C.A. and MacFarlane, A., 2016. Learning from doing: the case for combining normalisation process theory and participatory learning and action research methodology for primary healthcare implementation research. BMC health services research, 16(1), p.346.

Hignett, S., Lang, A., Pickup, L., Ives, C., Fray, M., McKeown, C., Tapley, S., Woodward, M. and Bowie, P., 2018. More holes than cheese. What prevents the delivery of effective, high quality and safe health care in England?. Ergonomics, 61(1), pp.5-14.

Holloway, I. and Galvin, K., 2016. Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John Wiley & Sons.

legislation.gov.uk 1998, Data Protect Act 1998, Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents [Accessed on: 29th February 2020]

Loeppke, R., Boldrighini, J., Bowe, J., Braun, B., Eggins, E., Eisenberg, B.S., Grundy, P., Hohn, T., Hudson, T.W., Kannas Jr, J. and Kapp, E.A., 2017. Interaction of health care worker health and safety and patient health and safety in the US health care system: recommendations from the 2016 summit. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 59(8), pp.803-813.

Murray, M., Sundin, D. and Cope, V., 2018. New graduate registered nurses’ knowledge of patient safety and practice: A literature review. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(1-2), pp.31-47.

Taljaard, M., Weijer, C., Grimshaw, J.M., Ali, A., Brehaut, J.C., Campbell, M.K., Carroll, K., Edwards, S., Eldridge, S., Forrest, C.B. and Giraudeau, B., 2018. Developing a framework for the ethical design and conduct of pragmatic trials in healthcare: a mixed methods research protocol. Trials, 19(1), p.525.

theguardian.com 2018, Deaths of 4,600 NHS patients linked to safety incidents, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/08/deaths-of-4600-nhs-patients-linked-to-safety-incidents-says-labour#maincontent [Accessed on: 29th February 2020]

unison.org.uk 2019, NHS staff shortages increase, Available at: https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2019/12/nhs-staff-shortages-increase/ [Accessed on: 29th February 2020]

Vearey, J., de Gruchy, T., Kamndaya, M., Walls, H.L., Chetty-Makkan, C.M. and Hanefeld, J., 2018. Exploring the migration profiles of primary healthcare users in South Africa. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 20(1), pp.91-100.