Hospital safety climate from nurses' perspective in four European countries

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Research
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Nursing shortages and an aging workforce are critical factors affecting hospital safety climate in Central Europe.
• Decreasing nurse graduates and increasing migration of young nurses further exacerbate these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine nurses' perceptions of safety climate in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia.
• To determine the relationship between safety climate and unfinished nursing care across these nations.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1353 nurses from four Central European countries.
• Utilized the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care instruments.
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses.

Main Results:

• Significant cross-country differences were observed in unit/hospital/outcome dimensions.
• 'Perceived Patient Safety' and 'Reporting of Incident Data' linked to 'Organizational Learning' and 'Feedback and Communication about Error'.
• Higher rates of unfinished nursing care were associated with poorer patient safety climate perceptions.

Conclusions:

• Cross-cultural analysis reveals key differences and similarities in safety dimensions.
• Areas for improvement include 'Staffing,' 'Non-punitive Response to Error,' and 'Teamwork across Hospital Units.'
• 'Feedback and Communicating about Error' and 'Organizational Learning' are crucial for enhancing patient safety perception and incident reporting.