Creating healthcare cultures of patient safety.

ABSTRACT

With the release of the Institute of Medicine's report on patient safety, a national agenda was set to rebuild the public's trust and create cultures of safety within all healthcare organizations. This vision of improvement is driving changes in healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and regulatory agencies to remove the blame and improve their systems. Understanding historical events, strategies for organization change, and current patient safety initiatives will assist nursing leaders to become active participants at the local, state, and national level as cultures are changed and solutions are developed to prevent patient injuries.