5.1: Safety Introduction
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A national focus on reducing medical errors has been in place since 1999 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report titled To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System . This historic report broke the silence surrounding health care errors and encouraged safety to be built into the processes of providing patient care. It was soon followed by the establishment of several safety initiatives by The Joint Commission, including the release of annual National Patient Safety Goals. Additionally, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute was developed to promote emphasis on high-quality, safe patient care in nursing. This chapter will discuss several safety initiatives that promote a safe health care environment.