Healing and Learning: A Restorative Just Culture

Restorative just culture in healthcare is a dynamic process aimed at understanding the components of medical errors while recognizing the system failures that led to the incident and the effect on the patient, caregivers, and the community. It is a unique process because of the ability to look across the entire event, rather than focusing on one aspect (generally harm level). While many organizations have implemented a just culture, sometimes this has led to retributive culture where second victims are left with pain, suffering, and lack of communication. Restorative just culture aims to bring together all aspects of medical errors with inquiry, communication, and support for second victims. Understanding the differences between the two approaches allows complex healthcare organizations to evaluate their internal processes and develop better relationships with all involved parties.