Abstract: The author reviews the national and international literature on medical errors and adverse events. Contributing factors are identified, such as organisational culture, the myth of infallibility, and a one size fits all approach to health care. Conflict and communication difficulties between different health professionals is discussed in detail, as is the issue of disruptive behaviour, which includes intimidation, humiliation, undermining, domination and bullying. Some strategies for addressing these issues are proposed, such as promoting a no-blame culture, and addressing conflict between health professionals.

Abstract: The author draws on her experience as the 'Paediatric Link Nurse' in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within a metropolitan area in New Zealand to examine the proposed changes to ventilation practice. Currently, due to ventilator availability and medical and nursing practice, the usual mode of mechanical ventilation is volume-limited with pressure breath triggering. The author suggests this mode can compromise effective ventilation of paediatric patients, due to air leaks around the uncuffed endotracheal tubes of infants and small children. This air leak makes a guaranteed tidal volume almost impossible and can cause ventilator breath stacking and volutrauma. This can impact on the patient's comfort, sedation requirements and airway security, and affects how these patients are nursed. Thus the ventilation of these paediatric patients by the current volume-limiting mode may be not always be optimal for the infant/child. A new ventilator will be available to the unit, with a pressure-controlled, flow breath-triggering mode available. The author critiques the possibility of using this mode of ventilation, suggesting how this will impact on nursing practice in ICU, and of the education and knowledge that will be required. She suggests this change to ventilation practice may improve comfort and safety for the intubated child/infant, through the delivery of an optimal mode of ventilation.