From Communication Strengths to Cultural Gaps: Patient Safety Competencies in a Vietnamese Provincial Hospital

Patient safety is critical to health care quality, yet frontline staff competencies in low- and middle-income countries are understudied. Understanding these competencies is vital for designing interventions to enhance patient safety culture.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2024 involving 418 nurses, midwives, and technicians in Vietnam. The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey assesses six patient safety domains on a 5-point Likert scale. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of high patient safety confidence (mean score ≥ 3.0).

The mean competency score was 3.75 (SD = 0.5), with 89.0% scoring ≥ 3.0. Highest scores were in communicating effectively (3.83) and working in teams (3.79); lowest were in culture of safety (3.69). Higher confidence was correlated with age 30 to 39, nursing role, postgraduate education, >10 years' experience, and perceiving excellent hospital safety.

Moderate patient safety confidence exists, but gaps in cultural competencies and barriers to speaking up persist. Targeted training and nonpunitive systems are needed to strengthen patient safety in Vietnam.