7 Patient Safety Practices
Learn practical ways to reduce preventable harm through reliable patient identification, clear communication, individualized fall precautions, careful medication checks, and timely event reporting.
Principles of patient safety
Patient safety practices reduce preventable harm by making care processes reliable, communication clear, and hazards visible. They work best when staff, patients, and families share relevant information and speak up about concerns. Follow the organization’s procedures and applicable requirements, which may vary by care setting.
When information does not match or a situation does not feel safe, pause, clarify, and escalate the concern.
Patient identification
Confirm the patient’s identity before providing care, treatment, or services, especially before medication administration, specimen collection, or a procedure. Use at least two person-specific identifiers and match them to the order, wristband, or record. When possible, ask the patient to state their identifiers rather than simply confirm them. A room or bed number is not an identifier.
If the information does not match, stop and resolve the discrepancy before proceeding.
For example, before collecting a blood sample, ask the patient to state their name and date of birth, compare both with the identification band and test order, and label the specimen in the patient’s presence according to policy.
Safe communication
Communication should be timely, clear, complete, and respectful. At handoffs, transfer responsibility as well as information. Include the patient’s current condition, relevant background, pending tasks, safety concerns, and what to do if the condition changes. Invite the receiving team member to ask questions and confirm the plan.
Use to organize a concern:
Situation: What is happening now?
Background: What relevant context does the receiver need?
Assessment: What do you think the concern is?
Recommendation: What action or response is needed?
For example: “I’m calling about a patient whose blood pressure has fallen. They were admitted for dehydration; they are now dizzy when standing. I’m concerned their condition is worsening. Please assess them now.”
Use plain language with patients, offer appropriate language or communication assistance, and use teach-back when checking understanding.
should be individualized. Assess risk, make a plan that addresses the patient’s specific risks, and carry it out consistently. Consider prior falls, mobility or balance problems, medication effects, and the care environment.
Practical measures may include helping the patient when walking or toileting, keeping the call device and needed items within reach, clearing pathways, and ensuring appropriate footwear or assistive devices. Explain the plan to the patient and care team, and reassess it when the patient’s condition changes.
For example, if a patient feels dizzy after a new medication, tell the clinical team, reassess the fall-prevention plan, and assist the patient rather than expecting them to walk to the bathroom alone.
Safe medication practices
Medication safety involves checks throughout the process, from obtaining an accurate medication history through prescribing, dispensing, administration, and monitoring. Before administration, verify the order and patient identity; check the medication, dose, route, and timing; and review allergies and relevant clinical parameters. Clarify incomplete, conflicting, or unfamiliar orders before proceeding. Follow local procedures for high-alert medications and required independent checks. Document administration and the patient’s response as required.
At care transitions, compare the medications the patient is actually taking—including nonprescription products and supplements—with current orders. Resolve unexplained differences with the appropriate prescriber or pharmacist, and communicate medication changes to the patient and next care team.
Reporting safety events
Report harm, errors, near misses, and unsafe conditions promptly through the organization’s designated process. If an event occurs, first attend to the patient’s immediate needs, obtain help, and notify the appropriate clinician or supervisor. Then report the event according to policy so it can be reviewed and used to prevent recurrence. Near misses matter because they can reveal hazards before someone is harmed.
Document the patient’s condition, care provided, notifications, and response accurately in the health record, following policy. Use the event-reporting system separately when required; an incident report does not replace clinical documentation. Reporting should support learning and system improvement, not speculation or blame.