Psychological safety, as defined by Amy Edmondson, is “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking”. Edmondson further explains that it is characterized by a sense of confidence, where team members are not afraid of rejection or that they would be punished, labeled, or mocked for asking questions or speaking up (Edmondson, 1999, p. 354). High levels of psychological safety correlate strongly with consistently high performance, improved patient safety outcomes, fewer errors, and increased respect and trust among employees. Particularly in a healthcare setting, this tends to drive out "dangerous silence", which when absent prevents avoidable failure. In general, a climate of high psychological safety tends to also destigmatize having open conversations about failure, which is particularly relevant in healthcare.

There have been multiple studies that address psychological safety among nurses and multi-disciplinary teams, but never in advanced practice providers (APPs). In this context, APPs include physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. APPs are situated in a delicate position, between physicians and nurses. This makes them especially vulnerable and more prone to remain silent when they fear to speak up. The goal of this project is to study, analyze, and improve psychological safety among APPs at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).