Fostering path to a just culture in healthcare organizations: Influential factors and challenges

Abstract

In healthcare, fostering a just culture is vital for patient safety. This study, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, systematically reviewed research from 2019 to 2023 on just culture in healthcare organizations. It aimed to understand the process, influencing factors, and challenges. To nurture a just culture, it's crucial to differentiate human errors from reckless behaviors. This encourages incident reporting without fear of blame. Key factors include organizational characteristics (safety climate and just culture) and individual factors, especially among nurses. Challenges involve privacy-protecting policies hindering open communication and trust issues resulting from safety incidents. Five crucial factors emerged: Awareness, Empowerment, Organizational Factors, Leadership, and Communication. Challenges include privacy-protecting policies impeding open dialogue and trust issues, leading to emotional consequences from safety incidents. Continued research is needed to explore implementation processes' impact on patient safety culture, incident reporting, system enhancements, and responsible behaviors in healthcare organizations. In summary, promoting a just culture is essential for patient safety, with factors and challenges guiding this journey.