Defining the Intercultural Communication Apprehensions and Patient Safety Attitudes of Healthcare Professionals: A Descriptive and Correlational Study

Abstract

Objective: To determine healthcare professionals' intercultural communication apprehension and patient safety attitudes and to examine the correlation between them Material and Methods: The study, which was cross-sectional, correlational and descriptive, was conducted with 390 nurses, physicians and midwives across Türkiye. The data of the study were collected with the "Participant Information Form", "Intercultural Communication Apprehension Scale", and "Patient Safety Attitude Questionnare". The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, comparisons, reliability and normality tests, correlation and regression analysis. Results: The "Intercultural Communication Apprehension Scale" total score of the participants was 47.28±4.33, and the "Patient Safety Attitude Questionnaire" score was 151.84±31.79. While there was a negative (r=-0.173; p<0.01) relationship between the Intercultural Communication Apprehension Scale score and the "Job satisfaction" sub-dimension of the Patient Safety Attitude Scale; Intercultural Communication Apprehension Scale score "Stress recognition" (r=0.220; p<0.01), "Work conditions" (r=0.104; p<0.05). A positive relationship was found between the sub-dimensions. Conclusion: As a result of the study, the participants were found to have a moderate level of communication apprehension and show low patient safety attitudes in general. It was concluded that intercultural communication concerns of participants, job satisfaction, which are subscales of patient safety attitudes, stress recognitions, and evaluations of working conditions are related.