Patient Safety: The Art and Science of Nursing
Patient safety has received significant attention since publication of the Institute of Medicine’s (2000) report “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System”. Nurses provide interventions to help patients “be” safe. Being safe is not necessarily the same as feeling safe (Mollon, 2014). Feeling safe is a primary need for hospitalized patients (Hupcey, 2000; Mollon, 2014; Wassenaar, Schouten, & Schoonhoven, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to consider the concept of “being” and “feeling” safe using a hermeneutical approach. The paper concludes that nurses are the most important factor in patient perceptions of feeling safe. Thus, a call to action is issued for nurses, even all health care providers, to attend not only to the science of health care in helping patients be safe, but also the art of health care in helping patients feel safe.
Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics is the interpretation of experiences (de Araujo, Paz, & Moreira, 2012; Wood & Giddings, 2005). The German philosopher Martin Heidegger explored the understanding of experiences as they were encountered by the person (Laverty, 2003). For Heidegger, interpretation was essential to understanding (Laverty, …show more content…
Nurses are a primary factor in patients feeling safe (Wassenaar et al., 2014). Nursing is a technical and an interpersonal endeavor (White, 2002). Technical aspects of nursing are concerned with the “being” of safety. The condition of being safe is part of the science of nursing. Interpersonal aspects of nursing are concerned with the “feeling” of safety. The interpretation of an experience as safe is part of the art of nursing. Nurses are the connection between the science and the art of healthcare (Goodman, 2004). As such, nurses are the most influential in patients feeling safe (Wassenaar et al.,
Patient safety has received significant attention since publication of the Institute of Medicine’s (2000) report “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System”. Nurses provide interventions to help patients “be” safe. Being safe is not necessarily the same as feeling safe (Mollon, 2014). Feeling safe is a primary need for hospitalized patients (Hupcey, 2000; Mollon, 2014; Wassenaar, Schouten, & Schoonhoven, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to consider the concept of “being” and “feeling” safe using a hermeneutical approach. The paper concludes that nurses are the most important factor in patient perceptions of feeling safe. Thus, a call to action is issued for nurses, even all health care providers, to attend not only to the science of health care in helping patients be safe, but also the art of health care in helping patients feel safe.
Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics is the interpretation of experiences (de Araujo, Paz, & Moreira, 2012; Wood & Giddings, 2005). The German philosopher Martin Heidegger explored the understanding of experiences as they were encountered by the person (Laverty, 2003). For Heidegger, interpretation was essential to understanding (Laverty, …show more content…
Nurses are a primary factor in patients feeling safe (Wassenaar et al., 2014). Nursing is a technical and an interpersonal endeavor (White, 2002). Technical aspects of nursing are concerned with the “being” of safety. The condition of being safe is part of the science of nursing. Interpersonal aspects of nursing are concerned with the “feeling” of safety. The interpretation of an experience as safe is part of the art of nursing. Nurses are the connection between the science and the art of healthcare (Goodman, 2004). As such, nurses are the most influential in patients feeling safe (Wassenaar et al.,