Patient safety culture in intensive care: Nursing contributions

Abstract

The aim of this quantitative, comparative, cross-sectional, survey study was to systematize nursing recommendations regarding patient safety in two adult intensive care units in Florianópolis-SC, Brazil, in 2011. It resulted from the answer to a qualitative question from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, applied to 97 nurses, with a response rate of 93.8%, corresponding to 91 professionals. The survey obtained 267 recommendations, categorized according to the dimensions of the instrument utilized. There was a greater number of recommendations for the dimensions: organizational learning and continuous improvement, with suggestions involving qualification and training; staff in relation to quantitative matter; and overall perception of safety, indicating an improvement in procedures and processes and the support from the hospital management, with emphasis on the improvement of material resources and equipment. Also highlighted by other studies, these recommendations are essential to improve patient safety in the intensive care units studied.