Nurses' perceptions of error reporting and disclosure in nursing homes

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Ethics

Background:

• Nurses are ethically and professionally obligated to disclose errors.
• Error disclosure is crucial for patient safety and learning.
• The nursing home setting presents unique challenges for error disclosure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' perceptions of error disclosure in nursing homes.
• To identify factors influencing nurses' willingness to disclose errors.
• To inform strategies for enhancing error disclosure practices.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1180 nurses.
• Participants' perceptions and experiences with error disclosure were assessed.
• Statistical analyses were used to identify predictors of disclosure.

Main Results:

• Nurses perceived error disclosure as a difficult process.
• Registered nurses were more likely to disclose errors.
• Nurses with prior experience disclosing serious errors were more likely to disclose.

Conclusions:

• Error disclosure is a complex issue for nursing home staff.
• Targeted education and support can improve disclosure rates.
• Enhancing error disclosure is vital for a positive patient safety culture.