The Integrated Impact OF Nursing AND Laboratory Services ON Patient Safety, Diagnostic Accuracy, AND Clinical Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

This comprehensive review examines the integrated impact of nursing and laboratory services on patient safety, diagnostic accuracy, and clinical outcomes across healthcare systems. Nursing and laboratory professionals represent two foundational pillars of clinical care, operating at the critical interface between patient assessment, specimen management, diagnostic processes, and therapeutic decision-making. Fragmentation or misalignment between these services has been repeatedly associated with diagnostic delays, laboratory errors, compromised patient safety, and suboptimal clinical outcomes. Conversely, effective integration, communication, and coordination between nursing and laboratory services have been shown to significantly enhance diagnostic reliability, reduce adverse events, and improve continuity of care.

This review synthesizes contemporary evidence on nursing–laboratory collaboration, focusing on pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of diagnostic pathways. Key themes include error prevention, infection control, turnaround time optimization, clinical decision support, workforce competencies, and digital enablers. The review further explores organizational, technological, and governance factors that facilitate effective integration. Finally, an integrated conceptual framework is proposed to illustrate how coordinated nursing and laboratory services contribute to safer, more accurate, and outcome-oriented patient care. Findings highlight the need for system-level strategies, interprofessional training, and digital integration to strengthen collaborative diagnostic and care pathways.