Appreciative Inquiry: Grand Rounds

I've been thinking about writing a post about Appreciative Inquiry (AI), an analytic strategy that relies on seeing complex systems as "glasses half-full." This topic hasn't risen to the top of my queue yet, although one of my dearest nursing colleagues, Anne Challis, recently published a piece about the value of AI in RN retention in Nursing Management. (Anne's piece is worth tracking down, if only to see what a doggedly determined optimist can do with an employee's observation that "This job is a joy-sucking horror.")

I think "patient safety" might benefit from some AI treatment (or at least better PR). How, I've been wondering, will healthcare organizations more fully engage the citizens they serve with: "We kill fewer patients by mistake than our competitors"? And exactly who do we think wants to roll out of bed to work in that place?

So I was happy to see that Mark, of Medic999, chose "The time when it all fell into place," celebrating great catches, communication, and coordination of care for this week's Grand Rounds theme.

Today's Grand Rounds is worth visiting for another reason: You'll learn more about what care looks like from the perspective of first reponders and medics. This is valuable information for people interested in patient safety because fewer professional silos, less rigid hierarchies, and more effective communication across the continuum of care are things that improve outcomes. And that's good news for patients.

Enjoy Grand Rounds. And have a nice day.