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Patient Safety Concepts

The Institution of Electrical Engineers Health and Safety Commission defines Safety Culture as "the product of the individual and group values, attitudes, competencies and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization's health and safety programs. Organizations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by the confidence in the efficacy of preventative measures."

Culture can be defined as the values, beliefs, rituals, symbols and behaviors that we share with others that help define us a group, especially in relation to other groups. Culture gives us cues and clues on how to behave in normal and novel situations, thereby making the world less uncertain and more predictable for us. Changing the way people think about safety is not easy. Culture change is not a program. Programs have beginnings and ends by definition. They often are directed at manipulating people in some way to achieve an end result. Culture change is a process that, once embraced by the people, brings about lasting change--change that is passed on from generation to generation in a natural way. It is important to point out that culture change does not take place overnight, it takes five to seven years of continuous focus and hard work.