JNSS 2010, 1(3-4):121-125 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2010.013

STRESS AND PATIENT SAFETY

Judith M. Stefano

Patient Safety Nurse Coordinator, Patient Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Hospital Annex C, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook N.Y., USA

It is now realized that patient safety represents a health provider imperative that must be supported from every component of a health care facility, regardless of its size or medical specialty. Recent studies conducted by the Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation demonstrate that health care delivery remains unsafe despite improvement initiatives over the past decade. Accordingly, the institute has put forward the following five concepts that aim to 'meaningfully' improve the safety of the health care system: transparency, care integration, patient/consumer engagement, restoration of joy and meaning in work, and medical education reform. This paper proposes that anticipatory stress - both before and during health-related procedures - affects overall safety. Therefore, a reduction in the anticipatory stress response can heighten patient safety. It is argued that the notion of anticipatory stress in relation to typical health care patient experiences, including its effect on communication with health care providers, is a vital concern that needs to be addressed. In addition, it is suggested that health care providers can also be affected by anticipatory stress - a situation that may also endanger patient well-being. As a way forward, the need for a more comprehensive educational program that can reduce the negative impacts of anticipatory stress on patient safety with regard to both patients and health care providers is examined.

Keywords: stress; anticipatory stress; patient safety; proactive care

Received: August 9, 2010; Accepted: October 13, 2010; Published: September 1, 2010  Show citation