Factors Influencing Nurses' Medication Safety Competence: A Structural Equation Model.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medication safety competence is crucial for patient care.
• Factors influencing nurses' medication safety competence are not fully understood.
• Workplace and psychological elements may play a significant role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships between work environment, work-related stress, professional identity, and medication safety competence among nurses.
• To understand how these factors interact to influence medication safety.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 641 nurses in China.
• Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the complex relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Professional identity was a significant positive predictor of medication safety competence.
• Professional identity partially mediated the influence of work environment and stress on medication safety competence.
• A supportive work environment and higher professional identity were linked to better medication safety outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing professional identity and fostering supportive work environments are key to improving medication safety competence.
• Reducing work-related stress is essential for maintaining high standards of medication safety.
• Organizational interventions should focus on resource enhancement, stress reduction, and professional identity development to improve patient safety.