A united nursing front can change blame and toxic-centred cultures

If left unchallenged, toxic and blame-based cultures can emerge and take hold of once-healthy working emergency department (ED) environments. Just as EDs have become increasingly unsafe for older and vulnerable patients – who are often placed in areas undesignated for care instead of being admitted to wards – they are also becoming unsafe for nurses due to a toxic culture centred on cost efficiencies and meeting operational targets.