Student Perceptions of Nursing School Safety Culture: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Health care organizations have implemented a culture of safety to ensure optimal patient outcomes. It is important to assess how nursing school influences perceptions of safety culture to enable educators to better prepare students for the workforce.

Purpose: The aim of this descriptive, longitudinal study was to assess the impact of nursing school progression on student perceptions of safety culture using the School of Nursing Culture of Safety Survey.

Renal Diet.

Caring for a patient with renal disease requires an understanding of the basics renal nutritional therapy. The goals of nutritional therapy include maintaining renal function, preventing complications, and providing adequate nutrients. Because cardiovascular disease and hypertension are highly correlated with renal disease, sodium reduction is a major goal of the renal diet.

Culture of safety.

In this article, the principles behind high-reliability organizations and a culture of safety are explored. Three areas in which health care has the greatest potential for improvement in safety culture are also discussed: a nonpunitive response to error; handoffs and transitions; and safe staffing. Tools for frontline nurses to help improve their organization's culture of safety in these areas are reviewed.

Fracture complications.

This article highlights 2 important complications of fracture: acute compartment syndrome and fat embolism syndrome (FES). FES is most commonly associated with long-bone and pelvic fracture, whereas acute compartment syndrome is often associated with tibia or forearm fracture. The onset of both of these complications may be difficult to assess in the nonverbal patient or in the patient with multiple trauma.