Organizational Culture of Safety – Patient Safety (Nursing)

00:00 Welcome back, everyone.

00:02 In order for healthcare professionals to deliver the safest care possible to our patients, it's critical that organizations adopt a culture of safety.

00:11 We know that nurses have the potential to lead the way in improving health and healthcare for all.

00:17 But in order to realize that potential, they must operate in an environment that is safe, empowering, and satisfying.

00:24 Now there are different types of safety.

00:26 First, environmental, the workplace, and emotional.

00:32 Environmental safety.

00:34 A safe environment of care is made up of three basic elements.

00:39 Number one, the building or space, including how it's arranged and the special features that protect patients, visitors, and staff.

00:48 Second, the equipment used to support patient care or to safely operate the building or space.

00:54 And, finally, the people, including those who work within the hospital, patients, and anyone else who enters the environment, all of whom have a role in minimizing risks.

01:04 Any hospital regardless of its size or location faces risks in the environment, including those associated with safety and security, fire, hazardous materials and waste, medical equipment, and utility systems.

01:21 Now when staff are educated about the elements of a safe environment, they are more likely to follow processes for identifying, reporting, and taking action on environmental risks.

01:31 A safety and health management system is a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt.

01:40 A basic prerequisite for preventing injuries and illnesses are two things: Knowledge of the types and location, and the underlying reasons for their occurrence in the workplace.

01:53 This also includes some common basic elements, such as management and leadership for safety, worker participation in safety knowledge, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and system evaluation and improvement.

02:14 This includes three focus areas: infectious diseases, safe patient handling.

02:21 and workplace violence.

02:23 In thinking of emotional safety, the World Health Organization defines a healthy environment as a place of physical, mental, and social well-being supporting optimal health and safety.

02:34 Some initiative to support emotional safety in workplace include improved nurse staffing, promotion and support of self-care for nurses, and prohibition of incivility and bullying among nurses.

02:47 Now just as health care workers have a duty to care for their patients, employers have a fundamental duty of care to their employees to create a healthy safe work environment for them.

02:58 So when thinking of what we've covered today, I'd like for you to consider this question.

03:02 What are the six basic elements to creating an organizational culture of safety? Management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and finally, system evaluation and improvement.

03:28 I hope you've enjoyed today's video on organizational culture of safety.

03:32 Thanks so much for watching.