A Survey of the Patient’s Safety Culture Among Nurses in Tehran-Based Hospitals Affiliated with Social Security Organization - 2013-2014

Abstract

The patient’s safety culture refers to priority of the patient’s safety in the eyes of health and treatment staff. Without it, permanent development of health care system is not possible. The present study is aimed at analyzing patient’s safety culture status from nurses’ viewpoint. The descriptive-correlative study was carried as cross sectional work in the selected hospitals affiliated with Social Security Organization in 2013 and early 2014. Study population was comprised of all nurses working in the selected hospitals and a sample group (n=200) was selected through random sampling. A standard questionnaire of patient’s safety culture was used for gleaning the data. SPSS was used to analyze the data using mean, standard deviation, t-test, and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Among the aspects of the questionnaire, the respondents assigned the highest point to “teamwork attitude among different units” (mean and SD = 4.01± 0.97) followed by “organizational learning-permanent improvement” (mean and SD = 4.05 ± 0.75 out of 5); and the aspects “employees’ issues” (mean and SD =2.20 ± 1.10) and “punitive measure in response to error” (mean and SD = 2.52 ± 0.98 out of 5) obtained minimum points. According to the Pearson’s correlation test, there was a significant correlation between age and work record on one hand and “teamwork attitudes among different wards” on the other hand. Apparently, safety culture needs revision in some areas and training, cultural works, providing supportive organizational environment, and improving motivating environmental factors are of the main measures that can be taken by the managers to this end.