Which QSEN competency focuses on reducing the risk of harm to patients and providers by improving system effectiveness and individual performance?

• A. PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
• B. INFORMATICS
• C. TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION
• D. SAFETY

Answer: (D)

Safety is the QSEN competency that centers on reducing the risk of harm by improving how care is delivered at both the system level and through individual performance. It asks nurses to anticipate and prevent errors by examining processes, environments, and workflows, and by using evidence-based safety interventions. This includes practices like correct patient identification, proper medication administration with checks, effective handoffs, infection prevention, and leveraging standardized protocols to reduce variability. It also involves fostering a culture that reports near-misses and errors without blame so systems can study them and implement improvements. In short, safety focuses on making care safer by strengthening how the system works and how each person performs within it. This distinguishes it from patient-centered care (which focuses on individual patient preferences), informatics (which centers on managing information systems), and teamwork and collaboration (which emphasizes coordinating among professionals).