NURSE STAFFING AND SKILL MIX
Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix is composed of references that focus on human resource issues. In particular, these studies examine staff shortages, team composition and work team dynamics such as evaluation of regulated and unregulated nursing care providers, effective use of RN, LPN and other workers and the casualization of the nursing workforce. The themes of this category overlap with the Environmental Factors category.
ADVERSE EVENTS
Adverse Events encompasses adverse drug events as well as other adverse events. These references study the different impacts of clinical error from the patient, practitioner, administrator and economist viewpoints.
REPORTING, DATA MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT
Reporting, Data Management and Assessment examines references that focus on the reporting protocols of patient safety events, the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data, the assessment of that data and the incidents represented. Risk management and root cause analysis strategies are included.
NEW SAFETY PRACTICES
New Safety Practices are being piloted throughout the health care system, the world over. These references describe various quality improvement initiatives, implemented in the workplace, from simplifying complex medication systems and computer ordered physician entry to the re-development of patient identification processes. This category overlaps with System Restructuring.
CULTURE OF SAFETY
Organizational culture significantly impacts any workplace. A culture of safety is necessary for quality improvement initiatives and structural changes to flourish. These references focus on moving away from the 'blame and shame' regime towards a collaborative, supportive culture. Nursing leadership, workplace attitudes and whistle blowing are all aspects that contribute to cultural status. This category overlaps with the Environmental Factors and the Regulation, Legislation and Policy categories.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Environmental Factors, the influencers of day-to-day operations, compose this category. References in this section focus on a healthy workplace, adequate resourcing (e.g., supplies and equipment) and relationships among team members. Environmental factors range from trust amongst co-workers to the impact of new technology systems and how smoothly these dynamics are managed for staff. The Environmental Factors category overlaps with both the Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix category and Culture of Safety.
QUALITY OF CARE
The new patient safety agenda embraces quality of care involving quality assurance programs that promote high-quality care and interactions in the practitioner-patient relationship. These references focus on the professional responsibility of practitioners and processes in the workplace environment, which heighten awareness around patient safety.
EDUCATION INITIATIVES AND TOOLS
The Education Initiatives and Tools category spans the learning spectrum, including references from Nursing Education organizations, e.g., schools of nursing and continuing education to professional development, patient education and education tools.
SYSTEM RESTRUCTURING
System Restructuring, examining change at the systems level of organizations, has considerable influence on patient safety. This category includes references that propose increased utilization of technological approaches, e.g., computer physician order entry and information systems to designing entire facilities around the principle of patient safety. Overall, these references accentuate the need for a paradigm shift in the health care sector. This category overlaps with New Safety Practices.
REGULATION, LEGISLATION & POLICY
Regulation, Legislation and Policy contains references from various governmental and non-governmental organizations regarding legislation and policy. Position papers and some fact sheets are also included in this section.
MAJOR REPORTS
The Major Reports category contains the international and national studies, benchmarking references and groundbreaking research in the area of patient safety.
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