For the study, researchers surveyed 54 nursing teams in Belgium to determine what leadership actions boosted patient safety and whether leaders were adhering to those practices.
The researchers found that when nurse managers’ spoken expectations on safety aligned with their commitment to safety, teams had an overall stronger commitment to patient safety. These nurse teams also saw a reduction in medical errors.
“The study offers support for the efficacy of leaders’ behavioral integrity — walking the talk, if you will — and it demonstrates the importance of leadership in promoting a work environment in which employees feel it is safe to reveal performance errors,” said a study author. “This benefits patients because work environments in which error is identified offer employees the opportunity to learn from those errors and, ultimately, prevent similar errors from occurring.”
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