A concept analysis of situational awareness in nursing

Abstract

Failures in perception, comprehension, and/or projection can significantly reduce the accuracy and appropriateness of patient care decisions. Therefore, as a precursor to decision making, poor or inadequate levels of situational awareness present serious threats to patient safety. Situational awareness needs to be examined in a theoretical context, studied systematically and openly recognized as a key factor in the delivery of safe patient care.

A structured framework improves clinical patient assessment and nontechnical skills of early career emergency nurses: a pre–post study using full immersion simulation

“…). High levels of situational awareness have been linked with a reduction in human error and adverse events, and better patient outcomes (Fore & Sculli ).…”

Leadership practice as interaction in primary care emergency team training

“…Also, the use by all of word stems "control" and "overview" implied that they would not leave those functions solely up to the team leader (GP). Utilising the tools for providing an overview, or for sharing information while working in a team, may enhance a shared "situational awareness" (Fore & Sculli, 2013), acquired through processes of situational assessment, one of the core dimensions of teamwork (Wright et al, 2009). Explorations in delivery room settings (Mackintosh, 2009) revealed that providing an overview on a visible whiteboard was one of three key elements facilitating such awareness The other two elements were coordinator and inter-professional "handovers".…”

Design for Experience

“…A more specific definition refers to it as the awareness of the components within a spatio-temporal environment. This type of awareness helps users instantly understand the elements of the near future that may influence them (Fore and Sculli 2013). Situational awareness helps provide an experience for a product or service without having to continually be aware.…”

“…It is because the effects of the predictability and task-technology fit the agent-awareness of the product or service provides to users (Huang et al 2012;Merikle et al 2001;Fore and Sculli 2013). As it becomes easier to predict the pattern of a product or service, users seek to give their autonomy to an agent-aware product or service.…”