Nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture: a local phenomenon?

Abstract

Patient safety culture is the product of values, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and individual and collective behaviour patterns. Nurses often have the most contact with patients, so their perceptions of patient safety are crucial. This study aimed to assess perceptions of patient safety culture among nurses at a hospital in Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an adapted version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire. All 244 nurses working in a hospital in Spain took part. Respondents reported their perceptions of patient safety culture in their department in 12 domains using a 5-point Likert scale, with additional questions measuring overall perceptions of patient safety culture, personal and professional characteristics, and the proportion of respondents who had reported a patient safety incident in the previous year. Univariate and bivariate data analysis was performed using Jamovi software to identify relationships between variables. None of the 12 domains had a positive response rate (over 75%), indicating a generally weak patient safety culture. Perceptions of patient safety culture varied between departments, and were also affected by respondents' professional characteristics, such as their years of experience and whether they held a managerial role. Further research and intervention is needed to improve patient safety cultures. It may be useful to assess patient safety culture and tailor strategies for improvement according to the specific needs of individual departments.