Abstract

If any issue should command the attention of every nurse in the country, it is that of patient safety. Think back a few years. If someone asked you to provide safe care, would you not be somewhat insulted? Would you not say, "I want to provide more than just safe care; I want to provide quality care. Quality patient care is more than just safe care."

Patient safety is now a talking point in our understanding of how we provide quality nursing care. In my view, it is the bottom rung of the healthcare standards ladder, but it is poised to become the springboard for significant changes in the way we practise. These changes could have significant benefits, both for providers and for consumers of healthcare.