Cluster of Speaking-Up Behavior in Clinical Nurses and Its Association With Nursing Organizational Culture, Teamwork, and Working Condition: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses, as frontline healthcare professionals, play a crucial role in ensuring patient safety, making their ability to speak up imperative. However, there are limited studies categorizing nurses based on their speaking-up behaviors and comparing their organizational characteristics. This study aimed to identify patterns of nurses’ speaking-up behaviors and examine differences in organizational cultures, teamwork climates, and working conditions according to these patterns.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, involving 597 nurses directly participating in nursing care in Korean hospitals. The Speaking Up about Patient Safety Questionnaire (SUPS-Q), Nursing Organizational Culture Questionnaire, and Safety Attitude Questionnaire-Korean version (SAQ-K) were employed to measure nurses’ speaking-up-related behaviors, organizational culture, teamwork climate, and working conditions. Cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of nurses based on their speaking-up-related behavior. Differences in nursing organizational culture, teamwork climate, and working conditions among clusters were analyzed using one-way analyses of variance.

Results: Three clusters of nurses were identified based on their speaking-up-related behaviors. Cluster 1 (35%) showed high perceived concerns, moderate withholding, and speaking up, while Cluster 2 (37%) had moderate concerns, low withholding, and high speaking up. Cluster 3 (28%) had moderate concerns but low withholding and speaking up. Clinical experience significantly differed among clusters, with less experienced nurses predominantly in Cluster 1. Cluster 2 had the most collaborative culture, best teamwork climate, and working conditions.

Conclusion: Ensuring patient safety requires nurses to speak up about patient safety concerns. Creating safe working environments and fostering an organizational culture that prioritizes patient safety are essential steps in promoting nurses’ willingness to speak up about patient safety.