Each week I speak to the new RN and LVN nursing staff at orientation.  One thing I talk about is our value of patient safety and our goal to continuously improve our processes.  I discuss that as an RN Student 36 years ago I learned patient safety.  Everyone wasn't talking about patient safety in those days, but I learned how to safely provide care in every procedure and practice I was taught.  We didn't have the National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) of using 2 patient identifiers, but when giving medications we learned to call the patient by name and check the patient's ID band against our med card.  (Some of you might remember those med cards!) 

 I recently experienced patient safety and the 2 patient identifiers from the patient's point of view when I had an outpatient surgery at CCMC.  Although the nurses knew me personally, each and every one of them followed our policy on patient identifiers.  I was impressed by their professionalism, explaining that, although they knew me, this was for my safety.  As I went through the process, first of pre-op testing, then the outpatient procedure, I was sure that the staff had the right patient for the right procedure in the right place at the right time with the right equipment!