Creating a culture of safety is inextricably linked to reliability, service, and the experiences of both caregivers and those in our care. Each day across the world, patients and caregivers experience physical and emotional harm as a result of preventable events. The intersection of caregiver experience and a culture of safety is one of the strongest correlations that can be measured in the healthcare environment. As the perception of safety culture increases among caregivers, so too does their overall engagement in the workplace. In recent years, and most certainly as an outcome of our shared experience with the pandemic, what safety is and looks like in healthcare is evolving.
When we think about creating a culture that's both highly reliable and safe, we must now consider both physical and emotional harm to patients and caregivers alike. Never has it been more critical to ensure that we foster an error-proof care environment that's equally focused on the psychological and physical safety of those who provide care. There's very clear data demonstrating that when organizational leaders "walk the talk" in terms of a culture of safety and prioritize high levels of employee engagement, improvements can be seen in nurse-sensitive outcomes, patient engagement, and workforce indicators, as well as quality and safety measures.
One of the biggest missteps I see in organizations is trying to address key operational issues in silos and not recognizing, especially in the postpandemic reality, that the only way to deliver the promise we make to the communities we serve is on the foundation of an engaged and highly resilient care team. Building any program, improvement, or process change on a shaky engagement foundation will only lead to further frustration, "flavor-of-the-month" mentality, repeated failures, and ultimately, harm to patients and caregivers. The top-performing organizations in quality, safety, reliability, and service have doubled and tripled down on solving the critical issues plaguing the healthcare workforce. By doing so, they've seen improvements across the board in key operational and safety metrics, including better patient outcomes and even improved fiscal performance.
I'm honored to have been chosen as the guest editor for this year's Safety Solutions issue, in which we'll explore some of the latest trends, best practices, and challenges that exist for nurse leaders who strive to create the most positive practice environments-the new PPE! Our authors will share interventions to improve ambulatory medication reconciliation and reduce falls and falls with injury through early ambulation strategies, the latest strategies for preventing and reducing workplace violence, and insights into emerging models of nursing care and their impact on safety outcomes.
In my 30 years in nursing, I've seen us make great strides in improving safety, quality, reliability, and the experience of care, but we still have much work to do. As nurse leaders, we're the linchpins at the intersection of these critical processes and must continue to advocate for safe staffing, promote psychological safety and open communication, and set an example of what great looks like in terms of creating a culture of safety.
We must now consider both physical and emotional harm to patients and caregivers alike.
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