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Barriers and facilitators to communicating nursing errors in long-term care settings
Laura M Wagner1, Thecla Damianakis, Lise Pho
1University of California San Francisco, School of Nursing, San Francisco, California, USA. laura.wagner@nursing.ucsf.edu
Journal of Patient Safety
|September 26, 2012
Summary
Nurses in long-term care facilities perceive communication barriers related to defining errors, working conditions, and organizational factors. Improving error communication requires a culture of safety with supportive approaches.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Communication
Background:
- Effective communication of nursing errors is crucial for patient safety and quality improvement.
- Understanding nurses' perceptions is vital for developing strategies to address communication barriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore nurses' perceptions regarding the communication of nursing errors and adverse events.
- To identify factors influencing error disclosure in long-term care settings.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with approximately 289 nurses in Ontario, Canada.
- Qualitative content analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses was performed to analyze perceptions of error communication.
Main Results:
- Key themes included differing definitions of errors, impact of daily working conditions, organizational factors influencing reporting, communication styles, and external policies.
- Nurses identified factors that both hindered and facilitated error disclosure and adherence to protocols.
Conclusions:
- Moving towards a culture of safety is essential to overcome barriers in nursing error communication.
- A combination of top-down and bottom-up strategies is needed to empower nurses in the error communication process.
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