Factors Influencing Clinical Nurses’ Medication Safety Competence

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of job stress, critical thinking disposition, and clinical decision-making ability on clinical nurses’ medication safety competence. Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted among 140 nurses with more than 6 months of work experience in 4 general hospitals in Busan metropolitan city. Data were collected from August 15 to October 30, 2021 and analyzed using the independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Medication safety competence had significant correlations with job stress (r=.20, p=.021), critical thinking disposition (r=.63, p<.001), and clinical decision-making ability (r=.54, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis for medication safety competence revealed that the most powerful predictor was critical thinking disposition. Job stress and critical thinking disposition explained approximately 45% of the variance in medication safety competence. Conclusion: This study confirms the need to make systematic efforts in clinical settings to improve nurses’ medication safety competence, and seeks ways to do so. To enhance clinical nurses’ medication safety competence in the future, programs that manage job stress and improve critical thinking disposition within the nursing department in particular and the hospital in general should be developed and implemented.