PROJECTS: RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk Management Tool for Practice Development

Risk Management Tool for Nurses and Midwives to undertake a New Development

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Your views on content and usefulness of this risk management tool for practice development would be welcome via the feedback form.

In addition, you can download the entire Risk Management Tool in Word format to read offline or print. This is the final version of the tool, added to the site in February 2007.

Introduction

Risk management is an integral part of the Clinical Governance agenda and along with other quality initiatives has the overall aim of improving care. Risk management is about identifying risk, evaluating potential consequences and determining the most effective method of controlling or responding to risk. It is central to policy planning and practice development that we all work towards the same goal and that a co-ordinated national approach is taken. The holistic framework provided by the CNORIS risk management standards (NHS Mel (1999) 86, (2000) 18, HDL (2000) 02) will reduce the likelihood of fragmentation.

Effective risk management can not be conducted in isolation; communication and collaboration are essential to ensure a planned and structured approach. It is an active process, not a one-off activity and requires organisational commitment that supports a pro-active approach to implementing the risk management cycle. The cycle of identifying, analysing, controlling and monitoring specific areas of risk can facilitate informed decision making re policy planning.

Risk Management in Practice Development

Risk management is an area with implications for nurses and midwives in relation to practice development in terms of education and training, and implementation of the risk management cycle. There is a need for a coherent, consistent and structured approach to risk management across nursing and midwifery. The development of a risk management tool for use in practice development may be of particular relevance in relation to developing ‘extended’ and innovative roles and practices.

Definition of Responsibility

Responsibility relates to the duty or actions (procedures) which are delegated to a person to be carried out in a given situation. The person is then charged or entrusted with ensuring these duties or actions are carried out satisfactorily. (PPDNF 1999)

Definition of Accountability

Accountability does not relate only to the practitioner carrying out a set action. To be accountable the practitioner analyses the situation, explores various options, understands the possible outcomes of each option and is able to justify the decision from a sound knowledge base. (PPDNF, Scotland 1999)

Definition of Competence

"Competence, in the context of each practitioner’s application of professional judgement and accountability for safe and effective clinical practice, is the ability to continuously demonstrate knowledge and skills against measurable outcomes." (PPDNF Scotland 1999)

Definition of Vicarious Liability

Vicarious liability relates to the principle by which a practitioners employer will take liability for the actions and omissions of the employee as long as they are acting within their job description and boundaries approved by the employer. (adapted from Walsh 2000)

THE PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT RISK MANAGEMENT TOOL

Aims

The aim of the risk management tool is to assist the individual practitioner in the identification of the level of risk involved in developing a particular clinical practice within their area, while recognising the wider impact of risk at organisational level

All Trusts should have in place a mechanism to ensure that all relevant staff are registered with an appropriate professional body and Health and Safety Risk Assessments are carried out and all staff have access to induction programme, guidelines and protocols.

Objectives

Identify the level of educational input required to facilitate competency which will enable the individual to become a safe practitioner
Identify the support / supervision required to enable the practitioner to achieve a safe minimal level of competence

Download the tool in PDF format to print and fill in.

Download the Action Plan in Word format to fill in on screen.

References

HNS HDL (2000) 02
Clinical Negligence and Other Risk Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS): Amendment Regulations and Scheme Standards

HNS MEL (2000) 18
Clinical Negligence and Other Risk Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS)

HNS MEL (1999) 86
Clinical Negligence and Other Risks (Non-Clinical) Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS)

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2002)
Guidelines for records and record keeping
NMC

Professional and Practice Development Nurses’ Forum (1999) Clinical Competency Self- Assessment Tool.

Walsh M. (2000) Nursing Frontiers Accountability and the Boundaries of Care, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Bibliography

Accounts Commission for Scotland (1999). Shorten the odds. A guide to understanding and managing risk. July. Glasgow Caledonian University.

Davis B (1994) Risk Management: One Component of a Quality Strategy. Journal of the Association for Quality in Healthcare. Winter 30 – 34.

Dickson G (1999) Finding ways to reduce risks and their associated costs. Health Services Management. March/April 18.

Dineen M; Walshe K (1999) Incident reporting in the NHS – part two. Risk Management. June, 17 – 19.

Raven J (1999) Managing the unmanageable; risk assessment and risk management in contemporary professional practice. Journal of Nursing Management. 7. 201 – 206.

Walshe K; Sheldon T (1998) Dealing with Clinical Risk: Implications of the Rise of Evidence-Based Health Care. Public Money & Management. October – December, 15-20.

Secker-Walker J (1999) Clinical Risk Management

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This page last updated 3 February 2007

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