The need for a nursing specific patient safety definition, a viewpoint paper (February 2023)

Summary

This paper, published in the International Journal of Health Governance, discusses and analyses the need and benefits of a patient safety definition within the context of nursing.

The predominant role of nurses due to the proportionate size and significant role along with the need for clarification of patient safety in nursing terms is recognised. Research evidence of nursing areas with safety issues and relevant nursing interventions are presented. Based on all findings, a research-based nursing specific patient safety definition is proposed.

This definition includes three axes:

• What is patient harm?
• How this harm can be eliminated or reduced?
• Which are the areas of nursing practice that are identified to provide opportunity for patient harm?

These axes include nursing specifications of the patient safety definition.