Intern nursing students' perceptions of patient safety culture and their experiences with factors affecting the safety of care in hospital settings: A mixed method study

Abstract

BackgroundPatient safety culture is a globally studied subject as it plays a significant role in preventing and reducing errors. There is limited mixed-method research into the in-depth investigation of intern nurses' views on patient safety in hospital settings and the factors affecting it. ObjectiveThis study was conducted to determine intern nursing students' perceptions of patient safety culture and their experiences with exploring factors affecting the safety of care in hospital settings. Design and methodsA convergent mixed-method design was used. The study group was selected using the purposive sampling method. STROBE and COREQ checklists were followed. The quantitative phase was descriptive and correlational, and the qualitative phase was phenomenological. Quantitative data were collected using a “Personal Information Form” and “Patient Safety Culture Scale” and qualitative data using a “Semi-Structured Interview Form.” Mean ± standard deviation, median (min-max), frequency, percentage values, Shapiro-Wilk, and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to evaluate quantitative data. The inductive content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. Setting and participantsThe study consisted of intern nursing students from a university in the 2020–2021 academic year. The quantitative phase of the research was conducted with 38 and the qualitative phase with nine intern nursing students. In the qualitative phase, the saturation point was taken as a basis. ResultsIn the study, nursing students' perceptions of patient safety culture were high (3.24 ± 0.49; min = 1.88 and max = 4). The results of the qualitative data analysis indicated that the factors affecting patient safety in hospital settings consisted of three themes, namely “health professionals, care environment, and patients and caregivers” and nine subthemes. ConclusionsIntern nursing students had high perceptions of patient safety culture and had highly significant experiences with the factors affecting safe care in hospital settings.