Exploring the Impact of Employee Engagement and Patient Safety.

<bold>Background: </bold>Health service administrators are continually investigating new ways to improve the safety and quality of health services. A positive and powerful relationship between employee engagement and patient safety has been suggested in the research literature, and steps can be taken by employers to enhance engagement to improve the safety of health services, particularly considering the COVID-19 pandemic.<bold>Methods: </bold>A review of peer-reviewed literature relating to the impact of employee engagement on patient safety within health services between January 2015 and May 2021 was conducted using CINAHL, Medline Complete, Scopus, Health Business Elite and Business Source Ultimate databases. A search of grey literature using the BASE database was also completed.<bold>Results: </bold>3,693 relevant articles were identified, of which 15 studies were included in this review. Ten articles measured employee engagement using existing, validated tools, whereas patient safety was most frequently assessed through surveys seeking staff member's perceptions of safety or the quality of care they provide. Overall, there appeared to be a positive correlation between employee engagement and patient safety, but the strength of the relationship varied.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Anecdotal accounts of improving employee engagement and improving patient safety abound, and the evidence reviewed appears in agreement. However, research into the impact of employee engagement on patient safety is in its early stages. As health service managers consider the best use of funding to support safe and high-quality care, evidence to support the positive impact employee engagement has on patient safety may be useful in managing the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]