Patient safety requires workforce safety.
EVERY NURSE UNDERSTANDS that patient safety is the profession’s highest priority. However, an essential truth has become increasingly clear: We can’t consistently keep patients safe unless we first keep healthcare workers safe. Workplace violence (WPV), burnout, fatigue, staffing shortages, and the growing complexity of healthcare have transformed workforce safety from an occupational health concern into a leadership imperative. The health of our workforce and the safety of our patients are inseparable.
Recognizing this connection, the Joint Commission has expanded its expectations for accredited organizations by emphasizing leadership accountability, WPV prevention, psychological safety, and a culture of continuous learning. Healthcare leaders are expected to create environments where nurses are physically protected, psychologically supported, and empowered to speak up about safety concerns without fear of retaliation. These standards reinforce that protecting caregivers isn’t separate from delivering high-quality care—it’s fundamental to achieving it.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) advances this vision through a systems-based approach to safety. Rather than focusing on individual performance alone, IHI encourages organizations to design systems that make safe care easier to deliver.
Principles such as Just Culture, human factors engineering, psychological safety, and workforce well-being help organizations learn from mistakes, reduce unnecessary complexity, and create conditions where clinicians can thrive. Daily safety huddles, executive safety rounds, multidisciplinary collaboration, and support for clinicians after adverse events foster resilient organizations that benefit both caregivers and patients.
Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are ushering in a new era of workplace safety. These technologies identify risks before harm occurs by analyzing staffing patterns, patient acuity, overtime, and incident reports. Virtual nursing models, ergonomic technologies, and safe patient–handling equipment can help reduce workload and prevent injuries.
At the same time, organizations are placing greater emphasis on WPV prevention, addressing bullying and incivility, and promoting psychological safety as essential components of healthy work environments. These interventions hold promise, but they require transparency, thoughtful governance, and strong nurse leadership. Technology should strengthen—not replace—the clinical judgment, critical thinking, and compassion that define professional nursing.
For nurse leaders, the path forward is clear. Building safer workplaces requires visible leadership, meaningful engagement of frontline staff, investment in workforce well-being, and continuous evaluation of safety outcomes. Nurses must have a voice in governance, WPV prevention, technology adoption, and quality improvement initiatives. Every decision that affects the work environment ultimately influences the care patients receive.
Healthcare organizations can’t achieve excellence in patient safety without first achieving excellence in workforce safety. Protecting those who provide care isn’t simply an operational priority—it’s a strategic imperative that strengthens quality, safety, resilience, and the future of nursing.
The question is no longer whether healthcare organizations can afford to invest in workforce safety. The question is whether they can afford not to. Every investment in protecting the nursing workforce is an investment in safer patients, stronger organizations, and a healthier future for our profession. The time to act is now, and nurses must lead the way.
Lillee Gelinas, DNP, RN, CPPS, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
American Nurse Journal. 2026; 21(10). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ102604
References
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS®): Hospital Survey Version 2.0. Rockville, MD: AHRQ; 2019.
The Joint Commission. Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH): Workplace Violence Prevention Standards. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: The Joint Commission; 2024.
The Joint Commission. Sentinel Event Alert 59: Physical and verbal violence against health care workers. April 17, 2018. jointcommission.org/resources/patient-safety-topics/sentinel-event/sentinel-event-alert-newsletters/sentinel-event-alert-59-physical-and-verbal-violence-against-health-care-workers
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety. 2022. ihi.org/partner/initiatives/national-steering-committee-patient-safety/national-action-plan-advance-patient-safety
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Framework for Safe, Reliable, and Effective Care and Improvement. Boston, MA: IHI; 2022.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety. Boston, MA: IHI; 2022.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2019.
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cdc.gov/niosh/healthcare/impactwellbeingguide/index.html
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. 2016. osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3148.pdf
