Rebuilding a foundation of trust: A call to action in creating a safe environment for everyone

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, incivility and physical threats directed toward healthcare employees and often registered nurses was a growing concern by Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) leaders. In 2019, conversations initiated by The Beryl Institute’s Nurse Executive Council (NEC) to consider how best to achieve a much-needed balance between patient/family and staff safety have now become a critical priority to ensure the safety of everyone receiving and providing health care services. The heart of this work was organized around a set of newly developed ethical precepts designed to guide the exploration of key concepts. A call to action grounded in rebuilding a foundation of trust is proposed. In pursuing future steps to deepen this foundation, and to reaffirm the vital role for nurse leaders and of all in healthcare, we must be willing to engage in dialogue, to ask openly, and question respectfully. We believe healthcare systems and nurse leaders both play a vital role in elevating the humanity on which we will find brighter days ahead. Through a sustained commitment to this aim, we seek to strengthen health care delivery environments that shape physically and psychologically safe environments for everyone.