Patient Safety Culture in the Context of Critical Care: An Observational Study

A robust safety culture is essential for ensuring high-quality healthcare delivery. From a nursing perspective, especially among critical patients, it fosters ongoing improvement by highlighting areas that need attention.

This study aimed to evaluate the perception of patient safety culture among nurses within the critical care environment.

An observational study was conducted at a central hospital in Portugal employing the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC) questionnaire.

The study encompassed 57, nurses predominantly female (73.7%), aged 25-64. Most participants were general nurses (77.2%), with a significant proportion (61.4%) working in the emergency department and possessing an average tenure of 13 years at the facility. The perception of critical patient safety culture (CPSC) was predominantly positive (40.6%), varying by department, with intensive care nurses reporting the highest positivity rates. Teamwork was identified as a strong point, receiving 80.7% positivity, highlighting it as a well-established domain in the CPSC, whereas other domains were recognised as requiring enhancements.

The study pinpointed both strengths and weaknesses within the CPSC, offering a foundation for developing targeted strategies to bolster patient safety culture in critical care settings.