It’s Patient Safety Awareness Week, and I am reminded of an experience I had as a nursing student. My first medication error has stuck with me all these years. Why? Because like all health care professionals, as nurses, our priority is to do no harm. While not all issues related to patient safety are due to human error, we do feel a personal responsibility to ensure our patients’ safety. In today’s fast-paced health care world, that is not an easy task. While technological advances have provided a lot of support, we know that we can’t rely solely on technology – attention and collaboration, as well as speaking out about our experiences, are key.

In February of 2017, Nursing's Evolving Role in Patient Safety was published in American Journal of Nursing. This content analysis documents the history of patient safety related to nursing care, as illustrated by articles published in the journal. What an interesting study demonstrating the importance of our role in keeping patients safe through the years. The analysis dates back to the first issue of AJN in October of 1900! Go ahead and give this a read – you’ll see just how much has changed and, equally important, how much has stayed the same.