By Catherine T. Milne, APRN, MSN, BC-ANP, CWOCN-AP
From Nike's "Just Do It" ad campaign to Google's corporate "Don't be evil" code, I've always been struck by the many marketing campaigns that remind us to pay attention to our conscience. A similar focus should apply to health care. In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a scathing report showing that the number of people who died from medical errors surpassed the combined total of those who died from breast cancer and car accidents.1 To make matters worse, this was likely a low estimate. In 2013, the Journal of Patient Safety reported that adverse events from preventable harm may affect between 210,000 and 440,000 hospital patients each year.2 As clinicians, we've all taken an oath, a pledge or a vow to "do no harm." Why is the reality so far from the ideal?