The Relationship between Nurse-Perceived Patient Safety Culture and Patient Safety

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the relationship between nurse-perceived patient safety culture and patient safety grade in healthcare organizations. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational study design was used. An online survey was conducted with nurses in three tertiary hospitals in Korea who provided direct care to patients. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and ordinal logistic regression. Results: A total of 526 nurses completed the questionnaire. Among patient safety culture dimensions, staffing and work pace, reporting patient safety events, hospital management support for patient safety, handoffs and information exchange, organizational learningcontinuous improvement, and unit manager support for patient safety were significant predictors for patient safety grade. Conclusion: Efforts should be made to create and enhance patient safety culture in healthcare organizations. This study showed that staffing and work pace were the strongest predictors of patient safety grade, indicating that adequate nurse staffing is important to handle workloads and improve patient safety. Our study also demonstrated the importance of hospital management and unit manager support for patient safety. Therefore, we suggest developing a leadership program for hospital administrators and unit managers, to help them develop the necessary leadership skills for creating a culture of safety in healthcare organizations.