Safety — The state of being safe and protected from danger or harm.
An environment where everyone is free to express oneself without fear of judgment, shame or retribution while feeling comfortable to report concerns or incidents.
Evidence[1] shows “a strong association between psychological safety and trainee satisfaction with the clinical learning environment”[2] Achieving psychological safety creates positive professional experiences due to a strong sense of belonging and also encourages innovation, as people feel safe to explore new ideas and challenge conventional thinking.[3]
[1] Torralba KD, Loo LK, Byrne JM, Baz S, Cannon GW, Keitz SA, Wicker AB, Henley SS, Kashner TM. Does Psychological Safety Impact the Clinical Learning Environment for Resident Physicians? Results From the VA’s Learners’ Perceptions Survey. J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Dec;8(5):699-707. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00719.1. PMID: 28018534; PMCID: PMC5180524.
[2] Torralba, K.D., Jose, D. & Byrne, J. Psychological safety, the hidden curriculum, and ambiguity in medicine. Clin Rheumatol 39, 667–671 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04889-4
[3] Fartoon M. Siad, Doreen M. Rabi, Harassment in the Field of Medicine: Cultural Barriers to Psychological Safety, CJC Open, Volume 3, Issue 12, Supplement, 2021, Pages S174-S179, ISSN 2589-790X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjco.2021.08.018.