Safety Culture: Establishing Processes to Support Trust and Accountability for Risk Reduction 


Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Oncology nurses need vigilant risk surveillance skills.
• Distractions, interruptions, workload, and time constraints impede safe care delivery.
• Safety is a professional and organizational expectation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges oncology nurses face in maintaining situational awareness for risk surveillance.
• To identify factors that hinder optimal safe care.
• To emphasize the need for multilevel and interprofessional accountability in overcoming safety challenges.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of nursing challenges in oncology care.
• Exploration of factors affecting situational awareness.
• Review of professional and organizational expectations for safety.

Main Results:

• Common challenges include care distractions, task interruptions, increased workloads, and time constraints.
• These factors directly compete with the ability to provide optimal safe care.
• Empowerment to overcome safety challenges requires multilevel and interprofessional accountability.

Conclusions:

• Addressing challenges to situational awareness is crucial for oncology nursing.
• Multilevel and interprofessional accountability are essential for enhancing patient safety.
• Organizational support and interprofessional collaboration are key to empowering nurses.