How Many Types of Safety Are There?
Understanding Your Role in Patient Safety: Moving from Safety I to Safety II
Whether you’re a nurse caring for patients or part of the team behind the scenes in medical records, finance, or any other department—you play a huge role in keeping our hospital safe. But have you heard about Safety I and Safety II? Let’s break them down in plain English and see how you can make a difference every single day.
Safety I: Fixing What Went Wrong
Think of Safety I as the classic “find the mistake, fix the mistake” approach. When something goes wrong—like a medication error or a missing allergy in a chart—we dig in, figure out why it happened, and put safeguards in place to stop it from happening again.
Nurse example: You notice a dose error and report it. The team discovers confusing labels caused it, so the pharmacy switches to color-coded labels.
Medical records example: You spot a chart missing allergy info, file an incident report, and help roll out a double-check process.
This method reduces errors—but it’s reactive. We wait for problems to happen first.
Safety II: Celebrating What Goes Right
Safety II flips the script. Instead of just fixing mistakes, it focuses on understanding why things usually go smoothly—even when conditions are tough—and learning from those successes.
Nurse example: Staffing is tight, but you adjust priorities and keep patients safe. You share that strategy at the next team huddle, inspiring a cross-training plan.
Finance example: You notice a billing hiccup is fixed the same way every day. You suggest a simple checklist to prevent the issue—and suddenly billing and clinical teams communicate more smoothly.
Safety II is proactive. It helps us adapt, innovate, and build a stronger system.
How You Can Practice Safety II Today (No Matter Your Role)
Notice what works: When something goes smoothly, pause and think why.
Share your wins: Tell your team about small successes—post them on your unit board or mention them in meetings.
Ask questions: Instead of “Did I follow the policy?” ask “How can we make this process work even better?”
Suggest one change: Identify one tiny tweak in your workflow this week and test it out.
Collaborate: Talk to colleagues in other departments—sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places.
Quick Tips
Start shifts with a 5-minute huddle: share one thing that went well yesterday.
Use a “What Went Right?” form alongside incident reports.
Recognize teammates who adapt and solve problems on the spot.
Bottom Line
Patient safety isn’t just about preventing mistakes - it’s about building on our everyday successes. Every action you take, no matter how small, helps create a healthcare organization where things go right more often. Let’s shift our focus from fixing errors to learning, adapting, and celebrating wins together.