The majority of the 29 million blood products transfused every year in the United States is administered by nurses with little formal training in transfusion therapy. While health care resources and the public have focused on the safety of the blood product itself, the actual process of transfusion, from physician ordering practices to the lab’s role in transfusion services to nursing administration, has received very little attention.

Nationwide audits have identified significant gaps in nursing knowledge and proficiency with the transfusion process, which raise significant patient safety concerns. This risk can be reduced through effective communication and cooperation between nursing, the clinical laboratory, and blood bank staff.

Join us during this national audio conference to learn strategies for improving communication between the lab and the nursing department while reducing inefficient practices and improving quality and safety of transfusion therapy.

During this 90-minute program, you’ll:

• Understand why the current approach to nursing education and training for the transfusion process is inadequate and raises significant safety concerns
• Learn effective methods to optimize the current nursing educational approach to the transfusion process in both the academic and hospital setting
• Find out about cultural differences between medical technologists and nurses that contribute to challenges in coordination, communication, and teamwork between the two parties
• Understand the safety, quality, and economic impact of improving the relationship between the clinical departments and the transfusion service department
• Learn several effective strategies to improve communication and coordination between nursing and the blood bank to optimize the safety of the transfusion process;
and
• Discover the role of the Transfusion Safety Officer (TSO) in strengthening the relationship between nursing and blood bank, education of the clinical staff, and transfusion-related performance improvement projects

You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions in our interactive Q&A portion of the program. Take this hassle-free approach to learning about how to optimize transfusion safety and quality. And you can invite your entire staff – for one low fee.

FEATURED FACULTY

Jodi Parks, MD, FASCP,
Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine, Strategic Healthcare Group LLC

Joseph Thomas, RN, BSN,
Vice President, Clinical Systems, Strategic Healthcare Group LLC

HOST & MODERATOR:

Kimberly Scott,
Senior Editor, Washington G2 Reports

For more information, please call 800-401-5937, ext. 2. Continuing education credit is available.