Patient Safety

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These websites from expert organizations in nursing, healthcare and government departments outline vital information in the areas of patient and medication safety, patient privacy and confidentiality, and infection prevention and control. These concepts are vital and integrated throughout the nursing curriculum and into nursing practice.

Healthcare Excellence Canada
Healthcare Excellence Canada is a new organization with a relentless focus on improving healthcare, with – and for – everyone in Canada. Launched in spring 2021, Healthcare Excellence Canada brings together the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement.
GLOBAL PATIENT SAFETY ACTION PLAN 2021–2030 Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care (World Health Organization)
WHO’s (2021) safety action plan provides a framework for action through seven strategic objectives, each with five strategies, to create
a seven by five (7x5) matrix. The seven objectives include: policies to eliminate avoidable harm in health care; high-reliability systems; safety of clinical processes; patient and family engagment; health worker education, skills and safety; information, research and risk management; and synergy, partnership and solidarity.
Institute for Healthcare Communication
The Institute for Healthcare Communication (IHC) advances the quality of healthcare by optimizing the experience and process of healthcare communication.
Learning Outcomes for Patient Safety in Undergraduate Nursing Curricula
The Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing partnered to develop national learning outcomes for graduates of baccalaureate programs of nursing. The aim of this document is to delineate patient safety learning outcomes as they related specifically to entry-level nursing.
Patient Safety (CNA & CFNU)
This is a joint position statement on patient safety by the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.
Patient Safety (WHO)
This fact sheet by the WHO outlines that patient safety is fundamental to delivering quality essential health services. Indeed, there is a clear consensus that quality health services across the world should be effective, safe and people-centred. In addition, to realize the benefits of quality health care, health services must be timely, equitable, integrated and efficient.
Position Statement for Patient Safety (RNAO)
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) believes patient safety is a priority in public accountability for individual nurses, administrators, organizations, professional associations and all levels of government. In striving for excellence and optimal outcomes of care, registered nurses (RNs), as a key link in the health care system, protect and enhance the health of patients/clients whether the client is an individual, family, or community.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada is an independent national not-for-profit organization committed to the advancement of medication safety in all healthcare settings.
Medication Error and Patient Safety: A Systems Approach Building the Foundation, 2015 (Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada, ISMP Canada)
This powerpoint from ISMP Canada provides information on many points of safe medication practices including key terms associated with patient safety in health and understanding the impact of medication error on the individual patient and/or family.
Practice Standard - Medication (CNO)
The Medication practice standard by the College of Nurses of Ontario describes nurses’ accountabilities when engaging in medication practices, such as administration, dispensing, medication storage, inventory management and disposal.

Disease Prevention and Control Guidelines (Public Health Agency of Canada)
The following guidelines from the Public Health Agency of Canada contain content which has been published by PHAC to support Canada's disease prevention and control efforts. Many of them contain recommendations on specific public health topics issued either by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT) or the Advisory Committee on Epidemiology (now defunct) as well as by numerous expert and scientific groups who collaborate with PHAC.
Infection Prevention and Control (CNO)
Ensuring the use of safe, effective and ethical infection prevention and control measures is an important component of nursing care. To do so, nurses are expected to be aware of applicable College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) standards, relevant legislation, best practices and organizational policies related to infection prevention and control.
Infection Prevention and Control Canada
IPAC Canada promotes best practices by education, standards, advocacy and consumer education.
Public Health Ontario
Public Health Ontario (PHO) keeps Ontarians safe and healthy. With our partners in government, public health and health care, we prevent illness and improve health.
Workplace Health and Safety (Government of Ontario)
The Government of Ontario provides resources to help you improve your workplace’s health and safety and follow Ontario’s occupational health and safety laws.

Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (CNA)
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (herein called the Code) is a statement of the ethical values of nurses and of nurses’ commitments to persons with health-care needs and persons receiving care. The Code is both aspirational and regulatory. It is an aspirational document designed to inform everyone about the ethical values1 and subsequent responsibilities and endeavours of nurses.2 It is also a regulatory tool.
Nursing in Canada is a self-regulating profession; thus, nurses are bound to a code of ethics as part of a regulatory process that serves and protects the public.
Confidentiality and Privacy - Personal Health Information Practice Standard (CNO)
This Practice Standard by the College of Nurses of Ontario states that Nurses1 have ethical and legal responsibilities to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of client health information obtained while providing care. One way that nurses maintain boundaries and build nurse-client relationships based on trust is by respecting clients’ rights around confidentiality and privacy.
Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (Government of Ontario)
The Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) governs health care information privacy in Ontario. Information privacy is defined as the client’s right to control how his/her personal health
information is collected, used and disclosed. PHIPA sets consistent rules for the management of personal health information and outlines the client’s rights regarding his/her personal health information.
Quality of Care Information Protection Act, 2016 (Government of Ontario)
The Quality of Care Information Protection Act, 2016 (QCIPA) allows health professionals to have open discussions about critical incidents involving patient care and quality improvement matters in general. The goal of QCIPA is to create a safe space for health professionals to talk openly about quality improvement, including the potential cause of any critical incidents, without fear that the information will be used against theQCIPA applies to hospitals, independent health facilities, long-term care homes, licensed medical laboratories and specimen collection centres.
Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (Government of Ontario)
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) is the legislation that governs Ontario's regulated health professions' Colleges. Professions also have their own professional statutes that lay out additional, individual definitions, scopes of practice, and authorized acts.