Evidence-based leadership: Nursing's new mandate

In its landmark report, “Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses,” the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a startling wake-up call for nursing and health care leaders.1 Acknowledging the critical role of nurses in patient safety, this exhaustive study concluded that inherent in the work environment of nurses are serious threats to patient safety. The pervasiveness of these threats is evident in key areas of the organization.