On this month's cover, a clinical instructor from the Kent State University College of Nursing in Kent, Ohio, helps a student perform a fingerstick glucose test at the bedside. We chose this photo to call attention to a two-part series that begins with this month's original research CE, "Exploring How Nursing Schools Handle Student Errors and Near Misses."
Recently, health care organizations have moved toward creating a "fair and just culture"-one that encourages openness about safety-related concerns and personal weaknesses-and away from using punishment-based approaches that have been found to result in hiding errors, not preventing them. But less is known about how schools of nursing address safety issues with students.
To investigate, the authors analyzed survey data from nearly 500 schools of nursing with a prelicensure registered nursing program. They sought to learn how the programs handled reporting and following up on student clinical errors and near misses, and ultimately found that many did not have a policy or a reporting tool for dealing with these events-and that the principles of a fair and just culture were not often used in those that did. Accordingly, the second article in the series, "Creating a Fair and Just Culture in Schools of Nursing," offers strategies nursing schools can use to create such a culture. Look for it in next month's issue.-Diane Szulecki, editor