Summary

Quality is a core value of the nursing profession and the focus on quality and patient safety in health care has strengthened in recent decades. A commitment to quality in practice setting is a part of the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) ethical framework.  Quality and safety in health care are influenced by both evidence and research.  For instance, the Canadian Adverse Event Study (2004) indirectly influenced government actions in regard to patient safety.  Errors in health care are more often related to system problems as opposed to individual acts.  Acknowledging error provides opportunities to improve patient safety.  Team huddles support a team’s capacity to plan, to anticipate patient concerns, and to identify opportunities for quality improvement.  In quality assurance, compliance against standards is assessed on an ongoing basis; quality improvement is a continuous improvement process that is focused on both processes and systems. Both the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and Health Quality Ontario have resources publicly available to facilitate quality improvement work.