Assessing health literacy in safety net primary care practices.

Health literacy is now recognized as a crucial element of patient safety. Measuring health literacy in busy primary care practices can be challenging. This article presents findings from a study in which a relatively recent tool, the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) was used in seven safety net primary care practices, five of which were nurse managed health centers.

Caring nurse practice in the intrapartum setting: nurses' perspectives on complexity, relationships and safety.

Aim: This article reports on a qualitative study of nurse perceptions of caring nurse practice in the complex adaptive system of health care.

Background: Caring nurse practice encompasses technical skills and caring behaviours. Maternity care in the USA has seen worsening maternal and neonatal outcomes and safety has become a priority.