Risk assessment is linked to the practice of risk management, whereby a mutually agreed plan, aimed at reducing identified risks, is negotiated with the individual concerned. The plan incorporates specific therapeutic strategies and is a collaborative, interactive and dynamic process rather than something that is ‘done to’ the person. Although risk assessment is a core nursing skill, it needs to occur within the multi-professional context and involves other relevant disciplines.
Risk should be gauged in the context of a broader, holistic appraisal of the person. This should include physical, psychological, sociological and spiritual dimensions and take account of the interplay between all these factors.
Risk assessment provides useful information when devising care plans. It also has an impact on psychotherapeutic issues such as engagement with the person and concordance with treatment. A number of key principles underpin this approach to risk:

1. Risk cannot be eliminated, as there is no such thing as a completely risk-free situation. Outcomes are not easily predicted. The nursing goal is the minimization of risk and the prevention of harm or further harm
2. Risk is a dynamic process, influenced by any number of variables within a given situation. Risk fluctuates and is influenced by the experiences, perceptions and interactions that the individual is subject to at any point in time. Therefore, risk management plans must be constantly evaluated and amended
3. 'Risk factors' are based on population studies and do not necessarily allow practitioners to identify risks in a particular individual
4. Training, ongoing education and clinical supervision increase the effectiveness of clinical work and risk assessment practice

Aims and Scope:

1. Patient safety and its importance in nursing care
2. Risk assessment in different areas of nursing (Emergency, Psychiatric-Mental health, Public health, etc.)
3. Care models related to reducing risk in nursing care
4. Effective approaches in risk assessment
5. History of risk assessment in nursing care
6. Educational programs about improvement of the risk assessment