title: Patient safety: a shared responsibility.
abstract: Patient safety is an essential and vital component of quality nursing care. However, the nation's health care system is prone to errors, and can be detrimental to safe patient care, as a result of basic systems flaws. A variety of stakeholders (society in general; patients; individual nurses; nursing educators, administrators, and researchers; physicians; governments and legislative bodies; professional associations; and accrediting agencies) are responsible for ensuring that patient care is safely delivered and that no harm occurs to patients. The responsibility of these stakeholders in addressing patient safety in the context of a nursing shortage is discussed, along with specific actions they have taken, and can continue to take, to promote safe care.
authors.affiliation: Practice and Governmental Affairs Program, New York State Nurses Association, USA. karen.ballard@nysna.org
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ballard
mesh_terms: D000575:American Nurses' Association; D002568:Certification; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000592:standards; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000941:ethics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D028701:Patient Rights; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D010819:Physician's Role; D017751:Safety Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013192:Staff Development; D014481:United States