Seeking a just culture to design a safer hospital environment.

Abstract

If a hospital employee makes a mistake and a patient is hurt, should that employee be punished, fired, or considered blame-free? With a "Just Culture" framework in place at a hospital, the answer in most instances should be "none of the above." According to David Marx, JD, the design of the health system and the behavior of the employee at the time of the incident--and not simply the incident itself--should come under review.