Accuracy of harm scores entered into an event reporting system

This quality improvement project evaluated the accuracy of harm scores entered into an event reporting system by inpatient nursing staff at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Nurses scored 10 safety scenarios using 2 versions of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale to determine interrater reliability. Results indicated inconsistency in the way nurses scored the scenarios, suggesting that the event reporting system may not accurately portray the severity of harm in patient safety events. Nurse executives can use this information to guide the development and implementation of incident reporting systems.