Organizational Support for Safety Programs: Lessons from the Military and Airline Industry

Nurse executives must manage a highly complex work environment, balancing cost constraints with several mandates relating to quality, patient outcomes, and safety. The Institute of Medicine has been instrumental in developing evidence that the American healthcare system needs significant reform to prevent injuries and improve outcomes.1 and 2 New payment rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will have a profound effect on reimbursement for preventable, hospital-acquired conditions. Core performance measures and quality measures are significant for nurse leaders as they manage clinical and financial outcomes.3 and 4 Nurse leaders must find ways to engage the entire nursing team in recognizing and acculturating safety principles throughout the organization. Crew resource management (CRM) and lateral handover delegation developed by the military and airline industry are important tools that will increase safety awareness and decrease the risk of system failures and patient injury.