The Nexus between Nursing and Patient Safety

The aim of this unique book is to discuss the “nexus” or vital connection between nursing and prevention of harm to patients. The meaning of “nexus” is connection and connotes a most central or most important point in time or place. Now, is the most important time to highlight how nurses as leaders affect patient safety every minute of every day in the current nursing practice environment. 

The contemporary safety literature messages nursing adherence to principles of patient safety is required to achieve sustainable and safer healthcare systems; meaning nurses should detect and prevent errors. This message is not helpful to nurses as they strive to lead, understand what patient safety is and how to implement safety strategies in the practice environment. The book will address this gap by providing nurses an understanding of patient safety and application of its concepts to clinical nursing practice. The book is structured as four parts: Part I provides foundations of patient safety; Part II describes nursing’s role in patient safety; Part III illustrates patient safety at the frontline; and Part IV explains resilience, healing and moving forward. Practical case study examples with implementation strategies (how to) will be provided that highlight key safety practices inherent to nursing that prevent patient harm including effective monitoring, leadership, communication, identification of near misses, and learning from error along with cultural and organizational factors that promote and maintain safety activities by nursing.

Nurses produce safety by providing a strong layer of defence between error and patient harm. The discipline of nursing is the cornerstone of safety in the complex place of healthcare. The intended audience is front line nursing staff; nurse leaders; nurses working in quality, patient safety and risk management; advance practice nurses and nurse educators. The professional nurse who reads this book will read with the desire to learn more about the connection of nursing, nursing practice and patient safety.