The Perception of the Patient Safety Climate by Health Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic—International Research

Abstract

The patient safety climate is a key element of quality in healthcare. It should be a priority in the healthcare systems of all countries in the world. The goal of patient safety programs is to prevent errors and reduce the potential harm to patients when using healthcare services. A safety climate is also necessary to ensure a safe working environment for healthcare professionals. The attitudes of healthcare workers toward patient safety in various aspects of work, organization and functioning of the ward are important elements of the organization’s safety culture. The aim of this study was to determine the perception of the patient safety climate by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was conducted in five European countries. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) short version was used for the study. A total of 1061 healthcare workers: physicians, nurses and paramedics, participated in this study. Results: All groups received the highest mean results on the stress recognition subscale (SR): nurses 98.77, paramedics 96.39 and physician 98.28. Nurses and physicians evaluated work conditions (WC) to be the lowest (47.19 and 44.99), while paramedics evaluated perceptions of management (PM) as the worst (46.44). Paramedics achieved statistically significantly lower scores compared to nurses and physicians in job satisfaction (JS), stress recognition (SR) and perception of management (PM) (p < 0.0001). Paramedics compared to nurses and physicians rank better in working conditions (WC) in relation to patient safety (16.21%). Most often, persons of lower seniority scored higher in all subscales (p = 0.001). In Poland, Spain, France, Turkey, and Greece, healthcare workers scored highest in stress recognition (SR). In Poland, Spain, France, and Turkey, they assessed working conditions (WC) as the worst, while in Greece, the perception of management (PM) had the lowest result. Conclusion: Participant perceptions about the patient safety climate were not at a particularly satisfactory level, and there is still a need for the development of patient safety culture in healthcare in Europe. Overall, positive working conditions, good management and effective teamwork can contribute to improving employees’ attitudes toward patient safety. This study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and should be repeated after its completion, and comparative studies will allow for a more precise determination of the safety climate in the assessment of employees.

Research on Ecological Landscape Design and Healing Effect Based on 3D Roaming Technology

“…With the environmental pollution caused by the expansion of high-tech zones as well as the strict COVID-19 prevention and control in China, the R and D personnel are apt to have anxiety, depression, and tension [ 32 ]. There is a sharp increase in the risk of people with mental sub-health transitioning to physical sub-health [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. At present, the flower vegetation patches in the ecological corridor are unevenly distributed with limited varieties.…”

Patient Safety Climate, Quality of Care, and Intention of Nursing Professionals to Remain in Their Job During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Furthermore, nursing professionals' perception can change over time and can be influenced by daily activities in the healthcare organizations. 7…”

“…4,5 Underreporting of AE and a reduction in incident reporting were highlighted during the pandemic, 2,3,6 in addition to a negative perception of some of the dimensions of patient safety climate. [1][2][3]7 A positive patient safety culture is associated with improved patient safety. 3 This implies that it has a strong association with teamwork and working conditions, and with working conditions being strongly correlated with the perception of management and job satisfaction.…”

“…Patient safety climate should be valued in health institutions because of its importance in reducing adverse events (AE) 4,5 . Underreporting of AE and a reduction in incident reporting were highlighted during the pandemic, 2,3,6 in addition to a negative perception of some of the dimensions of patient safety climate 1–3,7 . A positive patient safety culture is associated with improved patient safety 3 .…”

Developing Nursing Standards for Maintaining Shift Handover in the Intensive Care Unit: A Methodological and Cross-Sectional Study

“…For a healthy work environment, nurses must be able to collaborate and communicate effectively and to update information and their skills regarding their delivery of treatment, all of which contribute to the achievement of patient safety. 5 , 6 During bedside handover, communication and nursing expertise are important considerations. The most significant issue with paperwork is handover, which is resolved by electronic documentation.…”