Factors affecting the Patient Safety Attitude and Safety Control on Safety Care Activities among Nurses in Small and Medium-sized Hospitals

Abstract

This study investigated the factors affecting the safety care activities of 227 nurses in 7 small and medium-sized hospitals in G-city. Data were collected from May 16th to 23rd, 2016, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression with SPSS 18. The levels of patient safety attitudes, safety control and safety care activities were 4.11, 3.74 and 4.33 out of 5, respectively. In the analysis of the patient safety attitudes, there were significant differences in education level and job satisfaction. In the analysis of safety control, there were significant differences in age, education level, working experience, position, experience of safety education, experience of safety accidents, and job satisfaction. In the analysis of the safety care activities, significant differences were found in the education level, work department, experience of safety education, and job satisfaction. The patient safety attitudes, safety control, and safety care activities were positively correlated (with each other). The major factor affecting the safety care activities was the patient safety attitude, followed by safety control and experience of safety education. These findings emphasize the need for nurses to change their perception of patient safety attitudes and safety control, in order to reinforce their safety care activities. They also suggest that various safety nursing cases and systematic support should be provided for continuous patient safety education.