Challenges Facing Staff Nurses to Maintain Patient Safety

Abstract

Background: Patient safety has become a priority in health policy and healthcare management. Staff nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient care in the hospital. Aim of the study: to assess challenges facing staff nurses to maintain patient safety. Research design: A descriptive correlational research design was utilized. Study setting: the study was conducted at cardiovascular hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Study subjects: included all available staff nurses, total number is 120 staff nurses. Data collection tool: Self-administered questionnaire sheet to assess challenges facing staff nurses to maintain patient safety. Results: There were more than 50% of the studied staff nurses had high level of challenges regarding to work environment, task &technology, institutional context, teamwork and organization & management related challenges. Also, 50% of them had high level of challenges regarding to individual staff related challenges, and 48.3% of them had high level of challenges regarding to patient related challenges. Conclusion: it is concluded that 55% of the studied staff nurses had high level of total challenges facing them to maintain patient safety. Also, there were highly statistically positive correlation between patient related challenges and teamwork, task & technology and institutional context related challenges. Recommendation: Conduct training programs for staff nurses to improve knowledge and practices related to patient safety, conduct educational programs for patients about their safety and rights and responsibilities, developing unique handover system for staff nurses and training them for applying it and providing training program for nurses about analyzing and documentation of risks.