Nosocomial infections remain a persistent patient safety issue and can lead to serious patient harm. This article describes one Israeli hospital’s experience using department-level investigations to reduce the incidence of nosocomial bloodstream infections. Study findings demonstrated that department-level investigations coupled with increased staff awareness led to significant reductions in nosocomial bloodstream infections.

The safety culture of an operating room is known to affect teamwork and patient outcome. This article discusses the unique characteristics of robotic-assisted surgical practice and approaches teams and organizations can take to enhance communication that supports a safe care culture.

Safety culture, nurses' safety attitudes, and staffing ratios have been shown to impact fall rates and other healthcare associated events. This study assessed if healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) could be associated with nurses' safety attitudes and other quality and safety metrics in the intensive care unit (ICU). Increased job satisfaction was associated with lower rates of HAI, as were lower rates of missed care. The study also found nurses' perceptions and actual incidence of two HAI were positively correlated, suggesting nurses can provide valuable information on HAIs and HAI reduction efforts.

Fostering a culture of safety is an essential component of improving patient safety and health care quality. This systematic review of seven articles identified a negative relationship between job-related stress among nurses and patient safety culture. Studies also reported that factors such as fatigue, workload, burnout, and workplace violence contribute to job-related stress and resulted in decreased patient safety culture.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, categorized as a never event, are underreported, particularly when related to medical devices. Interviews with experts in hospital-acquired pressure ulcers revealed four domains related to reporting: 1) individual health professional factors, 2) professional interactions, 3) incentives and resources, and 4) capacity for organizational change. Teamwork, openness, and feedback were seen as the main facilitators to reporting, and financial consequences was a contributing barrier.

Alarm fatigue is a pervasive contributor to distractions and error. This discussion examines how, while minimizing nuisance alarms is important, those efforts need to be accompanied by safety culture enhancements to realize lasting progress toward alarm reduction.

Burnout and low staff morale have been associated with poor patient safety outcomes. This study focused on the association between organizational climate, burnout and morale, and the use of seclusion and restraints in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. The authors recommend that initiatives aimed at reducing restraints and seclusion in inpatient psychiatric facilities also include a component aimed at improving organizational climate and staff morale.

Health systems are rapidly adjusting and adapting processes to successfully respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Pennsylvania Health System developed the I-READI (integration, root cause analysis, evidence review, adaptation, dissemination, and implementation) conceptual framework to assist hospitals in preparing for and responding to patient safety challenges during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The I-READI approach can streamline communication, enrich collaboration, and coordinate rapid change through the use of daily safety huddles, root cause analysis, and technology (e.g., ICU telemedicine and real-time ICU dashboards).

The patient safety evidence base has been growing exponentially for two decades with noted expansion into the non-acute care environment. This special issue highlights eight articles illustrating the range of practices examined in the AHRQ Making Healthcare Safer III report, including rapid response teams and failure to rescue, deprescribing practices and opioid stewardship.   

Preventing health care–associated infections remains a patient safety priority. This multisite study compared rates of central line–associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia before and after implementation of a multifaceted intervention. Investigators adopted the comprehensive unit-based safety program, which emphasizes safety culture and includes staff education, identification of safety risks, leadership engagement, and team training. Central line–associated bloodstream infections and surgical site infections initially declined, but rates returned to baseline in the third year. They were unable to measure differences in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates due to a change in the definition. These results demonstrate the challenge of implementing and sustaining evidence-based safety practices in real-world clinical settings. A past PSNet interview discussed infection prevention and patient safety.