Sentinel Event Alert 48: Health care worker fatigue and patient safety (Joint Commission, 14 May 2018)

Summary

Sentinel Event Alerts from the Joint Commission identify specific types of sentinel event (a patient safety event that results in death, permanent harm or severe temporary harm), describe their common underlying causes and suggest steps to prevent them occurring in the future. This Sentinel Event Alert looks at the well-documented link between health care worker fatigue and adverse events. It looks at:

• The impact of fatigue
• Contributing factors to fatigue and risks to patients
• Actions suggested by The Joint Commission for healthcare organisations