Chart — Patient Safety
National Patient Safety Goals Summary Chart
Joint Commission NPSG categories, key requirements, nursing actions, and NCLEX focus points — all major hospital NPSGs at a glance.
Educational use only. Effective January 1, 2026, The Joint Commission replaced the hospital/critical-access National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) chapter with year-round National Performance Goals (NPGs) — for example, suicide prevention moved from NPSG 15.01.01 to NPG.08.01.01; the NPSG chapter and numbering remain in effect for behavioral health care organizations. This chart reflects general patient-safety content for nursing education and NCLEX preparation — verify current goals with your facility. This material supports nursing education and exam review. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional policy, or medical direction. Always follow facility protocols and current provider orders.
Patient Safety Goals Overview
| NPSG | Category | Key Requirement | Nursing Action | NCLEX Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPSG 01 | Patient Identification | Use at least 2 patient identifiers before any medication, procedure, blood product, or specimen collection | Ask name + DOB; verify armband; barcode scan when available; room number is NOT an identifier | Room/bed number never counts — always name + DOB or MRN |
| NPSG 02 | Effective Communication | Read-back of verbal/telephone orders; timely reporting of critical test results; standardized handoffs | Write down, read back, confirm every verbal order; use SBAR for all handoffs; report critical values within required timeframe | Read-back required for ALL verbal/telephone orders before they are valid |
| NPSG 03 | Medication Safety | Label all medications on/off sterile field; reduce look-alike/sound-alike errors; anticoagulant safety program; reconcile medications at care transitions | Label every syringe immediately; double-check high-alert meds; complete medication reconciliation on admission/discharge/transfer | Trailing zero (1.0 mg) = error risk; naked decimal (.5 mg) = error risk — write 1 mg and 0.5 mg instead |
| NPSG 06 | Alarm Safety | Manage clinical alarms to prevent alarm fatigue without missing clinically significant events | Customize alarm parameters per patient; respond to every alarm; never silence alarms without assessing the patient first | Alarm fatigue is a recognized patient safety issue; silence + no assessment = unsafe practice |
| NPSG 07 | Infection Prevention | WHO/CDC hand hygiene compliance; evidence-based prevention bundles for CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI; reduce MRSA and CDI transmission | 5 Moments of hand hygiene; central line bundle (CHG dressing, daily necessity review); CAUTI bundle (sterile insertion, perineal care, catheter removal when no longer needed) | 5 Moments: before patient contact, before aseptic task, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, after touching patient surroundings |
| NPSG 09 | Fall Reduction | Implement evidence-based fall reduction program; reduce harm from falls | Morse Fall Scale or facility tool on admission and each shift; implement interventions per risk level (bed alarm, non-skid footwear, supervised ambulation, call light in reach) | High fall risk interventions must be individualized — not just low beds for everyone |
| NPSG 10 | Accredited Organizations / Blood | Prevent errors in blood transfusion — correct identification, correct blood product | Two-nurse identification of blood product at bedside; verify patient name + blood bank number before hanging; assess for transfusion reactions | Two-person verification required before transfusion; stop infusion immediately if reaction suspected |
| NPSG 15 | Suicide Risk Reduction | Screen behavioral health patients for suicide risk; reduce environmental risks | Validated suicide risk screening (Columbia Protocol, PHQ-9); remove ligature risks from environment; safety observation per risk level | Ask about suicide directly — asking does not increase risk; use validated tool |
Universal Protocol (Surgical Safety)
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Pre-procedure verification | Confirm correct patient, procedure, and site using documents and patient participation |
| Surgical site marking | Mark the operative site when laterality, level, or specific structure matters; patient participates in marking when possible |
| Time-out | All team members pause and actively confirm patient identity, procedure, and site immediately before incision. Procedure does not proceed until all agree. |
Time-out rule: If ANY team member objects during the time-out, the procedure is paused until all concerns are resolved. No exceptions.
Do-Not-Use Abbreviations (TJC)
| Do Not Use | Problem | Use Instead |
|---|---|---|
| “U” or “u” | Misread as 0, causing 10× dose error | Write “units” |
| “IU” | Misread as “IV” or “10” | Write “international units” |
| Trailing zero (1.0 mg) | Decimal missed → 10× overdose | Write “1 mg” |
| Naked decimal (.5 mg) | Decimal missed → 5× overdose | Write “0.5 mg” |
| “QD” for daily | Misread as “QID” (4× daily) | Write “daily” |
| “MS” | Morphine sulfate OR magnesium sulfate — ambiguous | Write full drug name |
Related Resources
Standards & sources
Fact-checked Jun 21, 2026This page is written to align with The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals; TJC Do-Not-Use Abbreviations List. It is an educational summary, not a citation of any single document — always verify specific doses, values, and protocols against current guidelines and your facility policy. How we source content →