Predictors of patient safety competency among emergency nurses in Iran: a cross-sectional correlational study

Abstract

Aims This study aimed to assess predictors of patient safety competency among emergency nurses. Background The role of emergency nurses is to provide high-quality health care to patients and ensure their safety. The patient safety competency includes the absence of unnecessary or potential harm when providing health care to patients. In providing health care, effective teamwork can affect patient safety and outcomes. Psychological safety is essential to effective teamwork. Psychological safety allows health care workers to accept the interpersonal risks needed to perform effective teamwork and maintain patient safety. Methods This study was cross-sectional correlational research. Using convenience sampling methods, 254 emergency department nurses from five educational hospitals were enrolled in the study. Patient Safety in Nursing Education Questionnaire was used to measure the patient safety competency, the teamwork questionnaire to examine the teamwork, and Edmondson psychological safety questionnaire was used to measure psychological safety. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s r correlation coefficient, and multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis were applied using SPSS 14.0. Results Participants’ mean patient safety competency score was 2.97 (1-4). Between 18 independent variables evaluated in the multiple regression analysis, seven had a significant effect on the patient safety competency of emergency nurses (R2: 0.39, p < .001). Conclusions The patient safety competency of emergency department nurses was primarily related to the structure and leadership of the team and secondary to psychological safety and experience in patient safety activity. The results demonstrated that policymakers and hospital managers should improve and enhance team structure and leadership via supervision and cooperation with the nursing staff. The development of training programs in patient safety activities, improvement, and increase of psychological safety at the levels of the nursing units is essential to increase patient safety competencies in the emergency nursing program.

The relationship between patient safety culture and patient safety competency with adverse events: a multicenter cross-sectional study

“…According to the International Council of Nursing (ICN), patient safety is the basis of quality care [ 7 ]. Therefore, improving the patient safety culture [ 8 ] and patient safety competency [ 9 ] are important strategies that health system managers have considered to improve the quality of nursing care. Safety culture has been described as individual and group values, perceptions, attitudes, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment and skills of healthcare organizations [ 10 ].…”

Assessing unsafe behaviors and their relationship with work-related factors among EMS staff in Iran: a cross-sectional study

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The factors influencing patient safety management as perceived by emergency department nurses: A qualitative study

“…The results of a study conducted by Habibi Soola et al. (2022) in Iran revealed that the patient safety competency of emergency department nurses was primarily related to the structure and leadership of the team and then to psychological safety and experience in patient safety activities. According to a systematic review conducted by Diz and Lucas (2022), the nurses' perceptions indicated that the work environment, teamwork and issues related to the leadership of hierarchical superiors were fundamental factors to improve the quality of care provided and patient safety.…”