Top Six Things Nurses Can Do to Improve Patient

Safety

Errors continue to put millions of patients at risk annually, but nurses are in a position to prevent many mistakes and improve patient outcomes.

Patient Safety Experts Offer Six

Tips to RNs

#1Support a Culture of

Safety

Be open

Support Trust

Safe Staffing

Learn from Errors

Display Transparency

Ask potential employers about the unit's safety

scores and workplace

safety.

#2Communicate

Speak up, if you

observe something

unsafe!

Take particular care to share information at shift change.

Don’t skip the basics#3

Even when time is short, perform basic care and follow checklists.

"There is an association between missed care and

increased error and harm.”- Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MSNCOO, Nat’l Patient Safety Foundation

Engage your patients

#4

Ask the patient about their goals.

Listen if they have questions about

their care.

Learn from incidents and near misses

#5

After an incident, debrief methodically and immediately.

Get involved#6

Bedside nurses are close to problems and have creative

solutions.

There are career opportunities for RNs to help create safer facilities.

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