An occurrence is an event that does not conform to the healthcare institution's policies and/or procedures and therefore has affected (or has the potential to affect) patient or employee safety. Occurrences need to be addressed. Therefore, open and trusted communication is vital for occurrence reporting and intervention to take place.
Corrective actions need to be taken and documented to prevent a recurrence. Healthcare facilities usually have a specific form for this purpose. The form may be called an, "occurrence report," "nonconforming event report," "incident report," et al.
Healthcare workers should understand that reporting the occurrence will result in better patient care and process improvement opportunities and should accept their role in the correction process. Being willing to report occurrences honestly and faithfully will benefit everyone in the long run.