Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room: A Psychological Safety Climate Intervention Among Nursing Teams-A...

To explore how a staff and managers experienced a multi-component and multi-level intervention to influence the psychological safety climate within nursing teams.

Qualitative, to explore the experiences of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and managers in a Swedish hospital.

Four focus group discussions were conducted in March 2023 with staff and managers (n = 20). A deductive thematic analysis was conducted, guided by a theoretical model of psychological safety, to examine work climate perceptions and antecedent conditions. An inductive approach was used to explore how participants experienced the intervention.

Participants experienced a shift from a blame-oriented to a more psychologically safe work climate. These developments were enabled by enhanced self-awareness, more supportive interpersonal dynamics, and leaders adopting a more accessible and vulnerable role. The intervention created a safe space to reflect on team dynamics.

Sustained efforts that integrate self-awareness, interpersonal dynamics, and managerial support are important to intentionally develop psychological safety. The creation of safe spaces can serve as a first step to confront unaddressed group beliefs.

Interventions aimed at improving psychology safety can have positive effects if they focus on developing individual trust and vulnerability, targeting group dynamics, and including leaders.

Problem addressed: Inadequate psychological safety among nursing teams, hindering effective collaboration.

By changing work conditions, the intervention led to improved perceived psychological safety. Research impact: Creating conditions for psychological safety can improve how teams function.

COREQ-checklist.

No PPI patient or public contribution.