Nursing staff perceptions of patient safety culture dimensions and practices

Abstract

Introduction: Assessing patient safety culture is essential for measuring the commitment of professionals, as well as the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that impact patient safety during the care process.

Objective: To evaluate nursing staff perceptions regarding patient safety dimensions and practices.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study involving nursing staff (n=290). Staff perceptions of safety practices were assessed using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) questionnaire, adapted into Spanish (α = 0.89). Positive response rates of ≥ 75% indicate areas of strength in safety culture, while rates of ≤ 50% represent problem areas. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24.

Results: The overall perception of safety was 38.3%. Areas of strength included teamwork (73.8%), organizational learning (66.6%), hospital management support (57.2%), frequency of event reporting (57.2%), and communication regarding errors (56.6%). Weak areas included staffing (32.1%), interdepartmental collaboration (40.7%), and hospital handoffs (39.7%).

Conclusion: None of the evaluated dimensions reached the ≥75% positive response threshold required to be considered an organizational strength. Assessing patient safety culture in the hospital setting reveals a complex reality in which the disposition of nursing staff, specifically, clashes with systemic structural barriers.