Automatic Hospital Door Injures Handicapped Man

Case Overview

This case involves a handicapped man that was injured by a newly installed automatic door at a hospital. The door in question was in the hospital lobby. One of the lobby desk staff members came over to assist the man with the door. She pushed the button for the automatic door to open and the man wheeled himself through. As the man was going through the door, it closed on him, knocking him to the ground. The man sustained serious head injuries and was unable to fully recover from his injuries. An expert in medical facility management was sought to discuss the policies necessary to ensure the safety of vulnerable patients while visiting a medical center.

Questions to the Nursing expert and their responses

Please explain why you're qualified to serve as an expert reviewer of this matter.

I have 7 years experience as a clinical regulatory registered nurse and I have worked in various medical settings for 22 years.

What policies must exist to ensure the safety of patients at medical centers?

Facility policies should revolve around safety monitoring regarding the automatic door, including time-lapse for closing, testing, calibration, as well as documents supporting that this is monitored. There should also be staff reporting on door use and monitoring patients as they enter and exit.

Have you ever been involved with creating and/or directing policies which specifically pertain to patient safety at a medical center?

I have been involved in creating and directing policies which specifically pertain to patient safety at medical centers many times throughout my career. I have specifically been involved in the workplace regarding patient falls, what to do and not do, how to prevent, and developing a fall risk assessment.

About the expert

This expert has nearly 30 years of experience in the field of dialysis nursing. She earned her BSN from the University of Central Florida and her MBA in project management from Aspen University. She is a licensed registered nurse and a certified nephrology nurse specializing in acute care, chronic, peritoneal, and home hemodialysis. At the start of her career, she was an acute RN at Gambro Healthcare, Cape Canaveral Hospital, and Wuesthoff Medical Center. She then was an RN medical record reviewer at Univial and later a clinical manager at Melbourne Kidney Center, Inc. This expert served as a center director at Renal Advantage Inc. Currently, she serves as a director of clinical operations at a dialysis center in Arizona.