Patient Safety and

Quality Care
Movement
Kacy McMurry
USF College of Nursing

Objectives
Definition and purpose of patient safety
and quality improvement

Types of safety errors

Institute of Medicine concepts
Significance to nursing profession
Significance to nursing students

Patient Safety and Quality

Care
Quality is defined as the degree to
which health services for individuals and
populations increases the likelihood of
desired health outcomes and are
consistant with current professional
knowledge (Mitchell, 2008)

Patient safety is defined as the

prevention of harm to patients

Patient Safety and Quality

Care
Patient safety is the base for quality care
concepts (Mitchell, 2008)

Quality care indicators: safe, effective,

timely, equitable, patient centered
(Mitchell, 2008)

Types of Safety Errors

Latent error: removed from practitioner
Active error: direct contact with patient
Example: wrong medication and wrong patient

Organizational system error: indirect

error; may include management or
protocols

Technical error: indirect failure of facilities

or outside resources (Mitchell, 2008)

Institute of Medicine
Concepts
Quality of care should be continually
improved and health care workers should
be trained to do so (Institute of Medicine,
2003)

Quality care indicators: death, disease,

disability, discomfort, dissatisfaction
(Mitchell, 2008)

Quality improvement will also mitigate

errors, waste, inefficiency, and delay
(Holman et al., 2001)

Significance to Nursing
Nurses provide direct patient care; they
have opportunity to reduce errors

Nursing is main key of communication in

health care setting

Must use surveillance, but also have the

proper knowledge (Mitchell, 2008)

Significance to Nursing
Student
Students must learn how to communicate
in health care setting

Report errors if one is made or seen:

accountability

Learn from errors to improve quality

Conclusion
Quality care and patient safety are
improved by one another

Nurses are the key to surveillance and

are a critical part of improving quality
care

References
Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2003). The core competencies
needed for health care professionals. Health Professionals
Education: A Bridge to Quality. Retrieved fromhttp
://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221519 /

Mitchell, P.H. (2008). Defining patient safety and quality care.

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidenced-Based Handbook for
Nurses. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2681 /

Holman, W.L., R.M. Allman, M. Sansom, C.I. Kiefe, E.D.

Peterson, K.J. Anstrom, S.S. Sankey, S.G. Hubbard, and R.G.
Sherrill. 2001. Alabama coronary artery bypass grafting
project: Results of a statewide quality improvement initiative.
Journal of the American Medical Association 285 (23):3003-10.