It can be a jungle out there, but there's no use monkeying around when it comes to patient safety.

Under a primal rain forest setting, Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) participated in the 2016 National Patient Safety Awareness Week campaign, March 13-19. The annual education and comprehension campaign for healthcare safety is led by the National Patient Safety Foundation. Each year, health care organizations such as NHB take part in the global event.

There was an interactive and colorful informational display on the quarterdeck, active command participation with project posters promoting patient safety, and a portion of the command Simulation Lab was even converted into a potential 'room of errors' of possible safety hazards for an admitted patient for staff to 'seek and find.'

"Everything we do in healthcare revolves around keeping our patients safe. It is important to honor the work healthcare workers do every day to make this possible," explained Cmdr. Annie Care, NHB Quality Management department head. "This week is a way to demonstrate to all healthcare workers the various ways we keep patients safe, so new workers know that everything they do is this focus."

The theme for this year's campaign was 'United for Patient Safety - Every Day is Patient Safety Day' which also reminded patients that they have a vested interest in their safety as much as the staff caring for them.

The annual educational event coordinated by NHB's Quality Management department focused on enhancing, improving and increasing awareness on a wide range of patient-related safety topics.

According to Care, staff should continue to prompt patients that they are encouraged to inquire about their health. There are three specific questions that should be posed to their health care provider at every appointment: "What is my main problem? What do I need to do? And why is it important for me to do this?"

There are multiple methods and queries even beyond the main three mentioned. Case hopes every patient understands they can be proactive and seek information from their providers; ask their providers about signs and symptoms they should be aware of; ask their provider to explain all treatment options; keep all of their health information, including family history, in one place; keep a current list of medication handy and review with the provider; always following up about test results; and know who their health care providers are and how to contact them.

NHB's observation of patient safety isn't just relegated to this week though. Patient safety is promoted on a consistent basis by encouraging departments to do process improvement projects and present them to the executive board; discussing various patient safety items on mock surveys; educating staff on patient safety initiatives; emphasizing Team STEPPS communication strategies and tools; actively promoting patient safety recognition awards; and following National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs).

"Everyone in health care plays a role in delivering safe care and can make a positive difference in patient safety," Case said.

The purpose of the NPSGs is to promote specific improvements in patient safety. The goals focus on problem areas in health care safety and how to solve them with the Joint Commission approving the initial set of NPSGs in July 2002. All Joint Commission accredited health care organizations are surveyed for implementation of the goals and requirements.

The NPSGs and requirements are decided upon from a pool of recommendations. Each year, the previous goals are evaluated by a panel of widely recognized patient safety experts, called the Sentinel Event Advisory Group. New recommendations are made and the goals are updated or changed. One such goal that is continuously stressed at NHB is hand hygiene, and not just for staff, but also for patients and visitors.

"Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others," said Mayda Schaefer, Quality Management patient safety analyst, adding that many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.

Schaefer noted that parents can help keep their families healthy by teaching them good hand-washing techniques; always reminding their children to wash their hands; and washing their own hands with their children.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends cleaning hands and hand sanitizing to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Yet despite widespread knowledge of the importance of hand-washing, a recent study showed that only 31 percent of men and 65 percent of women washed their hands. Hence the on-going focus as part of the annual National Patient Safety Awareness Week.

Other goals include using alarms safely, with NHB leadership establishing alarm system safety as a priority by making improvements to ensure that alarms on medical equipment are heard and responded to on time; improving Patient Identification Accuracy by using at least two ways to identify a patient; and reducing the risk of health care-acquired infection (HAI), which is an infection that a person can get while being treated for a medical condition. This can occur in the hospital or even in the home. An infection is considered to be health care-acquired when it occurs after treatment begins. In the United States, one out of 20 hospitalized patients contracted an HAI. The three most common HAI types are: catheter-related bloodstream infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and surgical site infections.

Another patient safety awareness measure focused on is medication errors, which can occur when a patient receives the wrong medication, or when they receive the right medication but in the wrong dose or manner. Unfortunately, medication errors are extremely common and harm an estimated 1.5 million Americans each year, resulting in upward of $3.5 billion in extra medical costs. Medication safety is continually stressed at NHB by using the five 'Rs' - Right patient, Right drug, Right dose, Right time, and Right route. There are many safety checkpoints in the hospital, but staff members need to ensure that a patient always knows what they are taking and why.

Case attested that the poster demonstration/competition, which highlighted safety projects from various directorates, departments and clinics, along with the Patient Safety Recognition Program, which recognizes staff members for their contributions and recommendations in 'speaking up for patient safety,' are helping to make a positive difference.

"It gives departments a chance to highlight their efforts within their workspace of the process improvement initiatives they have launched to improve patient safety," added Case.

The 'Speak Up for Patient Safety' Award campaign has been an growing grass roots initiative that allows anyone to recognize another who has spoken up, demonstrated, or promoted superb patient care through speaking up, working extra to assist team members during busy times, questioning when questions need to be asked, and/or taking action if needed.

The recognition program was developed and initiated in February 2014 as an inclusive way to get every staff member involved in patient safety by being able to share their thoughts and ideas to make a procedure, process, or plan, as safe as possible.

When asked who all has helped to make NHB's Patient Safety Awareness campaign happen, Case didn't hesitate in her reply. "It's been every staff member, from leadership to the most junior," she said.

For more news from Naval Hospital Bremerton, visit http://www.navy.mil/.