Psychological Safety in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review

Pediatrics in general and pediatric oncology in particular place the high demands on interprofessional teams. For teamwork, psychological safety is a basic prerequisite. Establishing it in pediatrics and their subspecialties requires extensive knowledge. While much is known about psychological safety in other industries, descriptions of psychological safety in pediatrics are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to (i) describe the current state of the literature, (ii) identify facilitating and hindering factors in individual areas, and (iii) highlight approaches in terms of best practice examples. In the period between March 25, 2024, and April 14, 2024, PubMed was searched in accordance with the PRISMA Guidelines Scoping Review Extension. The initial search retrieved 924 articles. Twenty-seven papers were included for final analysis. The main reasons for exclusion were a lack of thematic relevance, non-availability of a full text and languages other than English and German. Factors influencing psychological safety in interprofessional teams are discussed. In particular, the influences of communication, the working environment, and employees' mental health are explained. In view of the of the increasing shortage of skilled workers, team turnover, and intention to leave, psychological safety in pediatrics should be addressed. Future studies should elucidate which interventions have a persistent positive influence on psychological safety in pediatrics.