In a significant move towards improving global healthcare, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has released a position statement emphasizing the critical need to address patient harm resulting from unsafe care. The statement highlights that patient harm is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and is becoming an escalating public health concern.
Global Call to Action for Patient Safety
ICN’s position statement underscores the urgency for governments to substantially increase their investments in the recruitment, development, training, and retention of healthcare professionals, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. This strategic action is seen as a pivotal step in reducing patient harm and advancing patient safety on a global scale.
The statement emphasizes the necessity for patient safety to be at the core of all healthcare organizations and systems. It calls for transparent workplace cultures that encourage the reporting of concerns regarding medical practices and errors, fostering an environment of accountability and improvement.
Safe Nurse Staffing as a Priority
One of the key aspects of ICN’s position statement is its call for governments to be accountable for delivering needs-based safe nurse staffing. This entails ensuring sufficient funding, establishing legislation, and effective human resource planning to guarantee an adequate supply of healthcare workers to meet patient and population needs. Additionally, ICN urges governments to sign the Health Worker Safety Charter and to take swift and sustainable action in line with its key measures.
ICN Chief Executive’s Perspective
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Growth Summit: Jobs and Opportunity for All 2023, ICN Chief Executive Howard Catton emphasized the critical role of nurses in patient safety. Catton pointed out the direct correlation between nurse staffing levels and patient mortality, underscoring that this issue is a paramount patient safety concern.
Addressing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
A recent article co-authored by Howard Catton in The Lancet highlights the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for accelerating global action on patient safety. It asserts that the pandemic has underscored the urgency of preventing harm to both patients and healthcare workers and ensuring the delivery of safe healthcare. It calls for strengthened and accelerated global efforts to enhance patient safety.
ICN’s Commitment to Patient Safety
ICN is actively promoting patient safety through its global online learning platform. This platform includes a module on patient safety designed to enhance professional practice knowledge through competency-based education. This initiative aligns with advancing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030 and the Global Strategic Directions of Nursing and Midwifery 2021-2025.
The Interconnection of Healthcare Worker Safety and Patient Safety
ICN’s position statement emphasizes the inextricable link between healthcare worker safety and patient safety. It acknowledges that factors such as violence, abuse, burnout, stress, and moral injury experienced by nurses can adversely affect the quality of care and patient safety. Creating safe working environments and safeguarding the mental health of healthcare workers have extensive positive outcomes, including preventing patient harm.
Action Points for All Stakeholders
The position statement not only calls upon governments but also provides action points for national nursing associations and individual nurses. These action points include:
- Contributing to the development of patient safety legislation and ensuring its implementation.
- Advocating for nurses to be key members of clinical leadership groups focused on patient safety.
- Promoting the use of incident reporting systems and policies that support nurses in reporting patient safety concerns without fear of retribution.
- Integrating patient safety into nursing education curricula.
- Collaborating with national patient safety organizations.
- Supporting patient and family engagement in patient safety.
- Encouraging nurses’ participation in patient safety surveillance systems.
- Advocating for policies that promote multidisciplinary teams and team-based care.
Patient Safety Day
As a reminder, Patient Safety Day is celebrated on September 17th each year. This year’s theme, “Engaging patients for patient safety,” recognizes the crucial role that patients, families, and caregivers play in healthcare safety.
ICN’s new position statement on patient safety serves as a clarion call to prioritize patient safety globally. It underscores the importance of investing in healthcare workers, safe nurse staffing, and transparent reporting systems to protect both patients and healthcare professionals. By taking swift and decisive action, governments, nursing associations, and individual nurses can collectively advance the cause of patient safety and create a more secure healthcare environment for all.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Please consult with healthcare professionals for specific healthcare concerns.
