The Rare but Real: Intentional harm to patients videos were developed to raise awareness about the possibility of nurses intentionally harming patients. We know most nurses provide quality care and contribute to patient safety. However, we also know from the research that a small number of nurses intentionally harm their patients.

We have included related resources, and guided questions to help you start and continue a dialogue on the topic. The more we talk about it, the better we might be in detecting and preventing harm to patients.

Introduction (1:29)

Introduction

Health care serial killers (7:32)

Health care serial killers

Sexual Abuse (5:56)

Sexual Abuse

Guided Questions

We have suggested some questions to help start and guide a discussion on intentional harm after you have watched this presentation.

These questions are relevant for nurses, nursing employers and other health care professionals.

Review these questions with your colleagues and safety partners in the health care system. By working together, sharing knowledge and communicating, we can help prevent patient harm.

  1. How can you integrate findings from the literature in your practice setting?
  2. What strategies can and will you implement to increase awareness in your setting to prevent or deter intentional harm?
  3. What could be included in your policies and procedures to contribute to identifying intentional harm?
  4. How can you support a culture of safety to support issues being raised in the workplace?
  5. What data does your setting collect that could be used to detect possible intentional harm?

We have suggested some questions to help start and guide a discussion on intentional harm after you have watched this presentation.

These guided questions are relevant for nursing educators and nursing students.

It’s important for students to be aware that nurses can cause intentional harm, and that they have a role in preventing it.

  1. What strategies can you use to increase awareness about intentional harm with fellow students and others in the healthcare system?
  2. How can you integrate findings from the literature in your practice and future practice?
  3. How can you support a culture of safety where people can raise issues in a constructive way, with everyone working toward patient safety?

Related Links