Exerting Capacity: Mindsets of Bedside Nurses in Keeping Patients Safe

This classic grounded theory (CGT) study explored the perspectives of bedside nurses about patient safety in the adult acute care environment. The theory that emerged, Exerting Capacity, explains how bedside nurses balance their own capacity against the demands of a given situation to fulfill their duty to keep their patients safe. Exerting Capacity revealed a typology of two mindsets nurses use to approach the demands of keeping patients safe: me-centric and patient-centric. Analysis of the study's data revealed no connection between the mindset and the skill level of the nurse, unlike Benner's (1982) "From Novice to Expert" concept. Further, no relationship could be identified between the mindset and the length of time the nurse has been in practice as a bedside nurse. Understanding the mindset nurses use to approach provision of safe care is necessary for understanding how nurses ensure patient safety in the hospital setting.