Factors influencing nurses' decisions to raise concerns about care quality

To explore factors that influence nurses' decisions to raise concerns about standards of practice.

Health care practitioners have a key role in monitoring care quality. Nurses are required by their professional body to raise concerns about standards; however, under-reporting is the norm.

Grounded theory was used to collect and analyse data from semi-structured interviews with 142 practising nurses, theoretically sampled from three Acute NHS Trusts in England.

Fear of repercussions, retribution, labelling and blame for raising concerns, about which they predicted nothing would be done, were identified as disincentives to raising concerns. Reporting was perceived as a high-risk:low-benefit action. Nurses lacked confidence in reporting systems.

Disincentives to reporting need to be addressed if an open culture, which promotes quality, safety and learning, is to be developed. Findings give cause for concern and indicate a need to review organizational and professional guidelines, and organizational reporting systems.