title: From blaming to proactively changing the future: the leader's safety challenge.
abstract: Simplifying to the point of blaming limits learning and the ability to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Often, the characteristics of the blame culture are very subtle and what appears to be valuable work is actually a subtle sign of the blame game. Leaders must change the language to a proactive, future preventative state rather than focusing on the past and looking for single causes of events. Many nurses have left their positions because they have chosen not to work in a culture of blame. Eliminating all forms of blame is essential for excellence in patient care outcomes and loyalty of staff.
authors.affiliation: Aurora Health System, Milwaukee, WI, USA. karlene.kerfoot@aurora.org
authors.forename: Karlene M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kerfoot