[An approach to care indicators benchmarking. Learning to improve patient safety]. / Una aproximación al benchmarking de indicadores de cuidados. Aprendiendo para mejorar la seguridad del paciente.

UNLABELLED: Improvements in clinical safety can be achieved by promoting a safety culture, professional training, and learning through benchmarking. The aim of this study was to identify areas for improvement after analysing the safety indicators in two public Hospitals in North-West Madrid Region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive study performed during 2011 in Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (HUPHM) and Hospital de Guadarrama (HG). The variables under study were 40 indicators on nursing care related to patient safety. Nineteen of them were defined in the SENECA project as care quality standards in order to improve patient safety in the hospitals. The data collected were clinical history, Madrid Health Service assessment reports, care procedures, and direct observation RESULTS: Within the 40 indicators: 22 of them were structured (procedures), HUPHM had 86%, and HG 95% 14 process indicators (training and protocols compliance) with similar results in both hospitals, apart from the care continuity reports and training in hand hygiene. The 4 results indicators (pressure ulcer, falls and pain) showed different results. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the indicators allowed the following actions to be taken: to identify improvements to be made in each hospital, to develop joint safety recommendations in nursing care protocols in prevention and treatment of chronic wound, to establish systematic pain assessments, and to prepare continuity care reports on all patients transferred from HUPHM to HG.

[Sexuality in acute myocardial infarction patients]. / La sexualidad en los pacientes con infarto agudo de miocardio.

We as nurses in the Coronary Unit we do not see the sexuality of the patients sufficiently addressed neither by us nor by the patients themselves. In this article we are trying to analize the reasons and to emphasize the need to include this subject in our Nursing Problem List. In it we explaine the fears and the wrong ideas that we have identified in our patients. The sexual function is not affected by a myocardial infarction but psychological factors, age, drugs and other associated diseases might be a reason. A quiet enviroment, a fit training plan and looking for personalise proper alternatives may help the patient to start a satisfactory sexual life again.