Running head: PRACTICE PROBLEM

Practice Problem

Analysis & Utilization of Research

Christina L. Vidrich
University of St. Mary

PRACTICE PROBLEM

Abstract

The purpose of this review of literature is to study and identify the use of daily huddles and their
effectiveness in providing safe care and patient outcomes. The implementation of huddles has
become a major focus in the healthcare industry and other corporations. This sharing of
information helps increase safety awareness and helps facilitate structures will be put into place
ensuring a safe work environment. The literature covered areas in healthcare and individual units
in the hospital as well as safety huddles in construction. My research identified the correlation
between the different environments.

PRACTICE PROBLEM

The implementation of huddles has become a major focus in the healthcare industry and
other corporations. This sharing of information helps increase safety awareness and helps to
facilitate policies and procedures that can be put into place ensuring a safe work environment.
Effective communication between staff is a practice problem that can be detrimental to the safety
of patients as well as staff. The problem is very significant to nursing, feasible and the research I
conducted applies to the nursing practice. The objectives of the studies addressed the benefits of
implementing a huddling system to eliminated potential safety risks. The concepts of getting all
valuable information to all levels of people help fascinate a process of collaboration and
communication.
The synthesis of the literature was conducted and covered areas in healthcare, individual
units in the hospital as well as safety huddles in construction and high reliably organizations. My
research identified the correlation between the different environments but ultimately the main
result is to provide safety. The huddling process has been studied and piloted in different arenas
including hospitals and construction. A construction company fostered a tiered process to help
facilitate an effective platform to share information. A PACU team implemented an early
detection process and identified potential patients who might conceal medication with
communication in a huddle meeting. The formal daily huddle meeting proved to be an effective
platform to foster interaction between workers creates positive safety awareness and the input
from staff is beneficial to prevent issues.
Providing a safe environment for patients has been the goal of nursing and it is what
nurses do. Nurses care about providing a safe place for everyone to work, get well and be kept
safe. Fortunately there were no ethical issues to overcome in my research. The appropriate
approval process was obtained for the studies.

PRACTICE PROBLEM

Improvement in implementing a huddling process encompassed every area of research,

healthcare policy, quality and safety, and quality. The implications of not having a safe work
environment and an injured patient are detrimental. Policy has to be in effective to provide
guidance to an institution. Employers need to be providing quality whether it is a patient or an
employee. Research needs to be ongoing to provide the most current evidenced practices and
people need to be in a safe environment. The joint commission encourages team training to
enhance communication and leadership support (Tibbs & Moss, 2014, p. 479). Team Strategies
& tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is a system framework to
increase communications and includes huddles to increase effective communication (Tibbs &
Moss, 2014). In a meta-analysis research done by The National Guideline Clearinghouse, the
group that authored the guideline titled Prevention of falls (acute care). Health care protocol
concluded that under the heading recommendations Safety huddles (post-falls huddles) provide
a mechanism to learn from falls, near misses or other unexpected events (Degelau et al, 2012).

To conclude it is important to understand each person is an integral part of the team. We

all need to engage with each other to share valuable information to help improve the lives of the
people we serve. The huddling process is a method to come together and foster relationships that
direct us in the direction of safe quality environments.

PRACTICE PROBLEM

References
Degelau, J., Blez, M., Bungum, L., Flavin, P., Harper, C., Leys, K. ... Webb, B. (2012, April 1).
National Guideline Clearinghouse | Prevention of falls (acute care). Health care protocol.
Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=36906
Groves, S. K., Burns, N., & Gray, J. R. (2013).The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal,
Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders, 2013.
Tibbs, S., & Moss, J. (2014). Promoting Teamwork and Surgical Optimization: Combining
TeamSTEPPS with a Specialty Team Protocol. AORN Journal, 100(5), 477-487.