What it means
An injury caused by care, such as a fall, a pressure injury, a healthcare-associated infection or harm from a medicine. Some come from errors and are preventable; others happen even with correct care, such as an unexpected drug reaction. A very serious one, causing death or severe harm, is called a sentinel event. Adverse events are reported so the organization can learn and prevent them.
For the nurse
Care for the client first, tell the provider, and complete an incident (safety event) report according to agency policy. The report is not placed in the medical record.
At a glance
| Also written | adverse events |
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Related terms
side effect
An effect of a drug, other than the one it is given for, that is known and expected to happen in some people.
adverse effect
An unwanted and harmful effect of a drug or treatment given at a normal dose.
healthcare-associated infection
An infection a client gets while receiving health care that was not present or incubating when care began.
medication error
A preventable mistake at any step of prescribing, preparing, giving or monitoring a medicine, whether or not it causes harm.