ICN emphasizes the crucial role of nurses in the process of diagnosis on World Patient Safety Day

On World Patient Safety Day the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is highlighting the vital role that nurses play within the multidisciplinary team in the process of diagnosing a health problem. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Patient Safety Day, which is observed annually on September 17, is intended to raise global awareness about patient safety and call for action to reduce patient harm.

This year’s theme, Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety - along with the slogan Get it right, make it safe! - highlights the critical importance of correct and timely diagnosis in ensuring patient safety and improving health outcomes.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano emphasized that diagnosis must be a team effort, with nurses at the centre.

Dr Cipriano said: “Nurses’ knowledge and understanding of the people they care for, and their unique insight into health and disease, puts them centre stage in the process of diagnosis. In the extensive time they spend with patients, nurses observe clear as well as subtle symptoms that are shared with the team as part of diagnosing a problem.

‘While our medical colleagues are most likely to make a final diagnosis, nurses contribute insights about their patients’ conditions and changes over time. Nurses use their expertise in detecting abnormal findings as well as the close relationship they build with their patients to aid the team in diagnosis.”

ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton, who today will participate on the Multidisciplinary Approach on World Patient Safety Day 2024 webinar, underlined the issue of nurse shortages as a challenge to diagnostic safety.

Mr Catton said: “Nursing practice involves critical moments relating to diagnostic safety, from prevention to risk identification, surveillance and monitoring, nurses working as the key component of a multidisciplinary team.

‘The evidence clearly shows that where there are too few nurses, risk to patient safety increases from the incidence of infection rates, falls, medication errors, and ultimately deaths. In addition, there is the danger that care is missed or cannot be delivered because nurses are having to prioritize due to shortages.

‘When nurses do not have enough time, we know that key elements of care such as emotional support for patients and providing health education and advice as well as team communications, meetings and care conferences are all at risk and most likely to be incomplete or left undone. When care is missed as a result of shortages diagnostic accuracy, monitoring and reporting of a patient’s condition are all compromised.”

Click here for more information about World Patient Safety Day