Situational awareness is defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, nd) as “the degree to which one’s perception of a situation matches reality” (para, 1). Situational awareness can include awareness of patient status, prioritizing care, environmental threats to safety, and fatigue or stress. A lack of situational awareness can result in serious safety events and add to crisis.
Share your experience and perspective in answering the following questions:
Describe a time in your nursing practice when you were involved in or witnessed an error or a near-miss.
How could situational awareness have prevented this situation?
What pattern of knowing (empirical, ethical, personal, or aesthetic knowledge) applies to situational awareness?
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (nd). Glossary of situational awareness. Glossary | PSNet (ahrq.gov)
