An evidence summary inspired by safety discussions held at the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Safety Summit
What is the impact of distractions and interruptions for clinical staff? Interruptions affect staff cognitively by interfering with working memory. Although the evidence is limited, interruptions to nurses’ work have been identified as contributing to medication administration errors. Healthcare is learning lessons from the aviation industry and the ‘sterile cockpit’ which is a ‘no distraction zone’.
Date of publication: Aug 2017
Tagged: Interruptions