Exerting Capacity.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Health Care Quality
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical concern in healthcare, highlighted by Institute of Medicine reports on preventable adverse events.
• Despite its importance, limited research has explored patient safety from the direct perspective of bedside nurses using rigorous qualitative methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perceptions of bedside registered nurses concerning patient safety in adult acute care settings.
• To develop a substantive theory explaining how nurses manage patient safety challenges.

Main Methods:

• Utilized classical grounded theory (CGT) methodology to investigate nurse perceptions.
• Employed CGT techniques including constant comparative method, coding, and memoing for data analysis.

Main Results:

• A substantive theory, "Exerting Capacity," was developed, explaining how bedside nurses balance patient safety demands.
• The theory illuminates the values, realities, and beliefs of nurses regarding patient safety.

Conclusions:

• "Exerting Capacity" offers insights into the complex process of maintaining patient safety from the nurse's viewpoint.
• Findings have implications for healthcare leaders, nursing management, and future patient safety research.