A nurse attends an in-service aimed to educate staff about reporting h

QUESTION

A nurse attends an in-service aimed to educate staff about reporting hospital errors. The nurse demonstrates understanding when listing which of the following as consistent with error reporting within the United States?

a. Error reporting is transparent
b. Errors are overreported
c. Errors are underreported
d. Providers are not concerned about consequences of reporting errors

ANSWER:

ANS: C
Providers are concerned about negative consequences of disclosing errors, such as malpractice litigation, reputation damage, job security, and personal feelings such as loss of self-esteem, among others. This has led to serious underreporting. In the United States, according to IOM, only a tiny fraction of unsafe care incidents are reported. Some estimate that more than 90% of errors go unreported.