Human factor

• What is the main focus of human factors in the workplace?

  Making it easier to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing
• What does the phrase "to err is human" imply?

  Human error is a natural part of being human
• Why do small mistakes at home usually have no significant consequences?

  Because they often do not affect critical tasks
• How can being unfamiliar with a kitchen layout affect making a drink?

  It can make it harder to find necessary items
• How do the principles of human factors apply to patient care?

  They help prevent mistakes and improve job performance
• What does human factors science explain?

  Why we make mistakes and how to design workplaces better
• What factors affect our ability to perform well at work?

  Tiredness, hunger, and organizational culture
• How does organizational culture impact behavior during mistakes?

  It affects how everyone behaves and responds to errors
• What trade-offs do individuals make when under time pressure at work?

  Choosing between following policy and getting tasks done
• What might happen if a nurse is unsure how to use a different monitor?

  The nurse may wait for a familiar monitor to become available
• Why is it inappropriate to blame the nurse in the monitor example?

  Because equipment design and standardization contributed to the error
• What is the goal of investigating errors in human factors?

  To understand difficulties and improve working conditions
• What does human factors awareness help us prevent?

  Errors and understand why mistakes occur
• What is necessary for effective investigations of errors?

  Honesty and acknowledgment of real reasons for mistakes
• What should be examined when investigating errors in the workplace?

  Decisions made across the organization that contributed to the error
• Why is it important for everyone in an organization to understand human factors?

  It improves the quality of care provided
• What does an organization's willingness to address contributory problems indicate?

  Its approach to improving safety and quality of care
• What type of culture should organizations ideally have regarding incident reporting?

  An open and fair culture that encourages reporting
• How can organizations learn to improve care?

  By examining areas where things work well
• How does organizational culture affect staff treatment during mistakes?

  It impacts how colleagues treat each other and the response to errors
• What is the ultimate goal of applying a human factors approach in healthcare?

  To make it easier to do the right thing and improve care quality