County Medical Center Has a Good Track Record of Treating

question 73

Multiple Choice

County Medical Center has a good track record of treating patients well and discharging them in a timely manner. Then, in the span of one week, twelve patients suffer post-surgical bacterial infections that are resistant to drug treatment. Shortly afterward, the surgical and patient recovery teams gather to discuss the problem. One cardiac surgeon, Yvette, mentions that she read in a medical journal about a simple but effective method of reducing such infections. It involves encouraging and enforcing hand washing before all new patient contact. The key is to post reminders in every patient room and nurse station. There is also a smart phone app that will beep once every five minutes as a backup reminder. The hospital staff agrees to implement the protocol, and six months later the rate of infection has dropped by more than 50 percent. The hospital is striving to create a ________ culture.

• A) safety
• B) diversity
• C) fragmented
• D) sustainability
• E) customer service

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Definitions:

Eating Behaviour

Patterns or habits related to how, why, and what people eat, including the psychological, biological, and social factors influencing eating habits.

Ultradian Rhythm

Biological rhythms with a cycle shorter than 24 hours, such as stages of sleep or the pattern of hormonal release.

Free-Running Rhythm

Rhythm of the body’s own devising in the absence of all external cues.

Zeitgeber

Environmental event that entrains biological rhythms; German for “time giver.”