Just Culture refers to a system of shared accountability in which organizations are accountable for the systems they have designed and for responding to the behaviors of their employees in a fair and just manner. Employees are accountable for the quality of their choices and for reporting errors and system vulnerabilities.
Why is Just Culture important?
Creating a safe and transparent environment encourages reporting of mistakes and hazards and ultimately improves the care we provide to patients. In order to create a strong culture of safety, we must ensure that all BWH staff are managed fairly when involved an error, mistake or adverse event.
What is the hospital’s goal?
Brigham is striving to create a fair and just culture by:
- responding in a fair and consistent manner to adverse events
- educating through transparent dialogue about risks and safety expectations
- proactively managing risks and behavioral choices
What will success look like?
- Staff will feel safe reporting their mistakes and workplace hazards, knowing that safety issues will be addressed and they will be treated in a just, fair and consistent manner.
- Leaders will identify and correct safety hazards.
- Expectations for safe performance will be clear and well-defined.
- Leaders will investigate events by using a standard approach / algorithm and teach staff the importance of making safe behavioral choices.