Patient safety culture in a teaching hospital: Differences in perception existing in the different scenarios of this institution

Abstract

This quantitative descriptive-exploratory study aimed to evaluate the perception of nursing professionals regarding the patient safety culture and to identify differences in perception in the hospital’s units. A total of 301 nursing professionals participated. The collection instrument was the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality questionnaire, titled ‘Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture’. Data analysis was undertaken through descriptive and analytical statistics. As a result, it was observed that there were significant differences between the units, emphasis being placed on the pediatric units, which had better perceptions of safety (mean: 3.43 and median: 3.44). These findings make it possible to outline models for quality improvement which are more specific for each department, and the analysis of the contexts makes it possible to build good practices in health which are directed towards each work process performed in the institution.