Safety and situational control can be sources of error; in fact, in the reality of work, it is not always easy to make correct assessments and appropriate choices. The physician must be careful in interpreting clinical data, as it is often the case that he or she tends to apply the notions he or she possesses in a standard way. This induces errors of judgment as one focuses on seeking confirmation of one’s patterns. Therefore, it is necessary to be alert at all times and maintain a high level of critical capacity while working. Sometimes it happens that things do not go the right way, mistakes and accidents can occur, without anyone having specific responsibility. Unforeseen events are inevitable so it is important within a hospital setting to follow guidelines, procedures and organizational functional concatenations.
The complexity of a health care enterprise presents several uncertainties, and the unforeseen event is always lurking. For these reasons, it is important for the physician to be trained to react to events, rather than relying on the ability to predict them. It should be appropriate to introduce simulations of events that require specific skills and abilities into training courses.
Source: I don’t have time for… How it wears out care: health workers under stress by Ferdinando Pellegrino
