Predictors of Patient Safety Care Activities among Postanesthesia Care Unit Nurses

The postanesthesia care unit (PACU) is a high-risk environment in which patients often experience rapid physiological changes, requiring vigilant monitoring and prompt intervention. Nurses play a critical role in ensuring patient safety under these conditions. This study examined the associations among nursing professionalism, the nursing work environment, and nurse-physician communication on patient safety care activities among PACU nurses.

A descriptive cross-sectional study.

The study was conducted among 213 PACU nurses working in tertiary and general hospitals with more than 100 beds in South Korea. Data were collected through an online survey administered through Nurscape.net from December 30, 2024, to January 20, 2025. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS/WIN 28.0.

The mean score for patient safety care activities was 3.76 (SD = 0.25). Significant differences were observed by hospital type, hospital location, total clinical experience, shift pattern, and frequency of patient safety education (P < .01). Nurses working in tertiary hospitals or metropolitan areas, those with 5 to 15 years of experience, those working rotating shifts including night duty, and nurses who attended four to five patient safety education sessions demonstrated higher performance levels. Patient safety care activities showed significant positive correlations with nursing professionalism, the work environment, and nurse-physician communication (P < .001). Multiple regression analysis identified nursing professionalism (β = 0.43, P <. 001), the work environment (β = 0.22, P < .001), and nurse-physician communication (β = 0.27, P <. 001) as significant predictors, collectively explaining 66.3% of the variance (Adj. R² = 0.663).

Nursing professionalism, collaborative communication, and positive work environments were significantly associated with patient safety care activities among PACU nurses. These findings suggest that strengthening professional identity, integrating team resource management and crisis resource management-based team training, improving work environments, and developing quality-focused, safety-oriented educational programs may help promote sustained patient safety performance.