[We’re pleased to welcome authors Dr. Joseph Allen of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Dr. Victoria Kennel of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Dr. Katherine Jones of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. They recently published an article in the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies entitled “Group and Organizational Safety Norms Set the Stage for Good Post-Fall Huddles,” which is currently free to read for a limited time. Below, Dr. Allen recounts the motivations and innovations of this research.
The research in this paper was motivated by both personal interest and practical need in the healthcare field. Specifically, many of the researchers have had families or witnessed themselves instances where patients fell, were injured, and their recovery was impacted by that fall. Further, there is a general and practical need in healthcare to attend to and reduce the frequency of falls at in-patient facilities. As the population ages, the demand upon healthcare facilities only grows, and so the reduction of process of care created injury or illness is essential to providing care to everyone in need. That is, we need to get people in, treat them effectively, and help them transition back to full functioning without lengthening their stay with needless falls or other injuries/issues.
Given that motivation, the research here is particularly meaningful and innovative because it highlights an interesting dilemma in the implementation of best practices for improved patient well-being and care. Specifically, this study showed that having a good organizational safety climate/culture makes it more likely leaders will engage in the desired behaviors and lead effective post-fall huddles, compared to leaders in less positive organizational safety climate/culture. In other words, those who are already aware of the need to do things to keep patient and employee safe as they work together will more readily adopt new and innovative practices to promote that safety. This study supports the need to “set the stage” before implementing new things related to safety.
Additionally, it tells a somewhat scary truth about safety intervention implementation. Organizations who already buy into, support, and foster safety related practices are more effective and probably more likely to succeed at implementing new interventions. Organizations who do not buy into, support, and foster safety related practices do not benefit as much from attempting to implement new and innovative interventions. In other words, the safe get safer and the unsafe may not get much safer over time.
Bottom-line, stay healthy and be judicious in your decisions about where to receive your healthcare.
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