The first edition began almost 10 years ago as a joint project to develop a study manual for those preparing for the Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) examination. As the project progressed, a decision was made by the author and the Board of Certified Health Safety Management to publish the information as a hardcover book. This second edition follows the same format as the original text but has been completely revised. The author has attempted to produce a single-volume resource that addresses every major area of healthcare safety. The book is broad in scope and focuses on the importance of safety in our nation’s hospitals and nursing homes. However, much of the information has application to other healthcare organizations, including ambulatory surgery centers, long-term-care facilities, laboratories, and primary health clinics. The author places a strong emphasis on identifying, analyzing, and controlling healthcare-related hazards and unsafe behaviors.
The text is written in an easy-to-use format that includes tables, lists, and bulleted paragraphs. Each of the main chapters contains a short summary and review exercises. The author feels strongly that the revised text would be an appropriate text for college or university courses in curriculums such as safety, nursing, healthcare administration, and public health. Much of the text even has application to safety curriculums outside of the healthcare arena. The revised and expanded text also includes dozens of appendices containing safety management plans, a glossary of healthcare safety terms, and healthcarespecific safety checklists.
The author acknowledges that many of the hazards found in healthcare organizations cannot be comprehensively addressed in a text of this type. Readers are encouraged to refer to other texts and government publications that address specific healthcare safety topics. Voluntary compliance organizations such the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) also publish safety material specifically for healthcare applications. This book is presented with the sincere hope that it will continue to help those working in healthcare-related positions. The author trusts it will provide both the seasoned professional and the newcomer to the field with an accurate overview of healthcare safety information and resources. The text also was prepared to serve as a primary study resource for candidates seeking to earn the CHSP designation.
