Risk, also known as danger, refers to factors that can lead to disability or exacerbate existing disabilities. Risk management involves accurately identifying risk factors and implementing strategies to mitigate them through an ongoing improvement process.

In the medical context, risk management extends beyond addressing medical errors and accidents to focus on minimizing adverse outcomes for healthcare workers, patients, and their families. It encompasses a series of processes aimed at ensuring the quality of medical care, including understanding, analyzing, planning, and implementing avoidance and prevention measures, as well as evaluating their effectiveness.

Nursing risk management involves collaboration with relevant departments within healthcare facilities to safeguard the safety of patients, families, visitors, and staff and prevent potential hazards. Specific risks encountered in nursing practice include falls, medication errors, patient misidentification, needlestick injuries, nosocomial infections, violence, theft, and disasters. To manage these risks effectively, efforts are directed toward educating and training nursing staff, developing manuals, improving the work environment, establishing communication systems with other departments and professions, documenting incidents, and forming risk management committees. Risk management, together with the quality of nursing care, is indispensable for ensuring the overall quality of medical services.

• Japan Risk Management Association (Ed.). (2004). Medical field series (3): Safety management and risk management in medical fields. Doyukan.
• Sakata, M. (Ed.). (2009). Psychiatric nursing expert risk management (2nd ed.). Nakayama Shoten.
• Shimamori, Y. (Ed.). (2007). Analysis of near misses and accident cases: Medical safety measures guidelines. Jihou.