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Nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture in J ordanian hospitals
Author(s) -
Khater W.A.,
AkhuZaheya L.M.,
ALMahasneh S.I.,
Khater R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international nursing review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1466-7657
pISSN - 0020-8132
DOI - 10.1111/inr.12155
Subject(s) - patient safety , safety culture , teamwork , nursing , health care , staffing , openness to experience , medicine , organizational culture , descriptive statistics , family medicine , psychology , public relations , social psychology , statistics , management , mathematics , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Background Patients' safety culture is a key aspect in determining healthcare organizations' ability to address and reduce risks of patients. Nurses play a major role in patients' safety because they are accountable for direct and continuous patient care. There is little known information about patients' safety culture in J ordanian hospitals, particularly from the perspective of healthcare providers. Aim The study aimed to assess patient safety culture in J ordanian hospitals from nurses' perspective. Methods A cross‐sectional, descriptive design was utilized. A total number of 658 nurses participated in the current study. Data were collected using an A rabic version of the hospital survey of patients' safety culture. Findings Teamwork within unit dimensions had a high positive response, and was perceived by nurses to be the only strong suit in J ordanian hospitals. Areas that required improvement, as perceived by nurses, are as follows: communication openness, staffing, handoff and transition, non‐punitive responses to errors, and teamwork across units. Regression analysis revealed factors, from nurses' perspectives, that influenced patients' safety culture in J ordanian hospital. Factors included age, total years of experience, working in university hospitals, utilizing evidence‐based practice and working in hospitals that consider patient safety to be a priority. Limitations Participants in this study were limited to nurses. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient safety culture from other healthcare providers' perspectives. Moreover, the use of a self‐reported questionnaire introduced the social desirability biases. Conclusion The current study provides insight into how nurses perceive patient safety culture. Results of this study have revealed that there is a need to replace the traditional culture of shame/blame with a non‐punitive culture. Implications for nursing and health policy Study results implied that improving patient safety culture requires a fundamental transformation of nurses' work environment. New policies to improve collaboration between units of hospitals would improve patients' safety.