When it comes to the reporting of medical errors, reasons why medical
professionals may not provide accurate data is the fear of being judged and
the lack of peer support. Creating medical errors can have a lasting effect
on reputation which no medical professional wants to be ruined. According
to Poorolajal et al., (2015), "the main reasons mentioned for underreporting
were lack of effective medical error reporting system (60.0%), lack of
proper reporting form (51.8%), lack of peer supporting a person who has
committed an error (56.0%), and lack of personal attention to the
importance of medical errors (62.9%)". These reasons can be why there is a
lack of accurate data.+
Leader might eradicate a culture of shame and blame by embracing
humanity. I believe that in order for people to feel less shameful about
mistakes is to hear testimonies of leader's mistakes and how they overcame
them. We are all human and we will continue to make mistakes because no
one is perfect. Discussing a mistake as a team and not singling one person
out can be an effective way to address a mistake without shaming and
blaming one person. It can help reduce the reoccurrence of the mistake
happening again and still make the professional feel confident in
themselves. Good leadership takes mistakes as an opportunity to help build
and grow an employee from their mistakes (LD, n.d.)
How to eliminate a culture of shame and blame. Sandra Abbey. (n.d.).
Retrieved January 11, 2022, from http://leaderdiscovery.com/how-
to-eliminate-a-culture-of-shame-and-blame/
Poorolajal, J., Rezaie, S., & Aghighi, N. (2015, October 7). Barriers to
medical error reporting. International journal of preventive medicine.
Retrieved January 11, 2022,
from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4629296/
