8 SEPTEMBER - 2023Creating a culture of SafetyIn the fast-moving Healthcare environment of today, safety is often overlooked and forgotten. Safety is pertinent in all aspects of healthcare and is not something we talk about until it fails. I want to take a few moments to dive into the phrase "Culture of Safety," what it means, and how to foster it. A culture of Safety is one where Safety is at the forefront of leadership. In this environment, Senior leadership is taking an active part in driving change and improving the culture is committed to Safety. A safe environment is also where people feel safe identifying safety concerns, reporting incidents, and working to improve outcomes. An organization with a robust culture of Safety is one where outcomes and incidents are reviewed at all levels. Safety is routinely discussed and reviewed by executive leadership, and people are encouraged to report all levels of incidents. These organizations have developed vigorous incident reporting systems where incidents are reviewed to identify trends and improve outcomes. Incidents in healthcare are often classified as no harm, near misses, adverse events, or critical sentinel events. The challenge when developing a culture of Safety is getting people to identify and act on near-miss events. Near Miss events are defined as errors with the potential to result in harm but didn't. These often happen several times before they result in an adverse event. The reporting of a near miss event provides the most valuable opportunity for improvement. Leadership involvement and support are critical in developing a robust reporting environment and culture By Rachelle Petika, DNP, MBA, FNP-C, Director Practice Health and Safety, ArchWell HealthIN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONRachelle Petika
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