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To report or not to report: a descriptive study exploring ICU nurses' perceptions of error and error reporting
Sherry Espin1, Abigail Wickson-Griffiths, Michelle Wilson
1Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. sespin@ryerson.ca
Intensive care unit nurses perceive and are willing to report errors or near misses. However, they may opt for informal or formal reporting methods based on emergent factors.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Quality
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing nurses' error reporting is crucial for improving patient safety in intensive care units.
- Previous research has not fully explored the nuanced decision-making process behind error reporting preferences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore emergent factors influencing nurses' error reporting preferences in intensive care units.
- To probe nurses' perceptions and reporting decisions in various error and near-miss scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive methodology using semi-structured interviews.
- Utilized one near miss and four error scenarios across three Canadian intensive care unit settings.
- Analyzed nurses' error perception, decision to report, and reporting style (formal/informal).
Main Results:
- 81% of 37 participants indicated they would report the events in the given scenarios.
- Deviations from standards of practice were the primary reason for perceiving an event as an error.
- Nurses demonstrated a willingness to report, with reporting style varying.
Conclusions:
- Intensive care unit nurses are adept at perceiving errors and near misses.
- Nurses are willing to report these events, but their choice of formal or informal reporting methods is influenced by various factors.
- Findings highlight the importance of understanding these factors to optimize error reporting systems.
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