title: Safety watch: reducing constant observation through nurse empowerment and accountability.
abstract: Safety watch (SW), a nurse-driven surveillance program, provides a framework for the appropriate level of patient observation. It empowers nurses to initiate flexible levels of patient safety observation that can be adjusted based on the patient's need and be discontinued safely at the earliest opportunity. The SW program resulted in dramatic reductions in constant observation and restraint use while sustaining quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Director of Nursing-Acute Care (Ms Wray); Clinical Nurse Specialist-Acute Care (Ms Rajab-Ali), Department of Nursing, The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wray
authors.forename: Rozina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajab-Ali
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011209:Power, Psychological