Factors Predicting Safety Culture Among Nurses in Tertiary Care Hospitals, Thailand

Abstract

Safety culture in healthcare settings is recognized as a critical issue as it enhances the care quality. This predictive study aimed to examine the safety culture and factors predicting safety culture among registered nurses working in four tertiary care hospitals in Thailand. Data were collected from 471 nurses using five research instruments: a demographic data form, the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, the Managers’ Safety Commitment Scale, the Modified Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey, and the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II-Thai version. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were adopted for data analysis. The results revealed that the strength composites of safety culture were the feedback and communication about errors (92.63%) and organizational learning continuous improvement (89.57%), while the composites needing improvement were frequency of events reported (44.20%), staffing (40.70%), and non-punitive response to errors (38.93%). The significant predictive factors that explained 33% of the variance in safety culture included structural empowerment, management safety commitment, work engagement, and nurse working hours. Based on the research findings, nursing administrators should strive for an active reporting system for adverse events, particularly non-punitive responses to errors, and manage adequate staffing for patient safety. Critical safety information and necessary resources for nursing practices should be provided to overcome the challenges in their work and thus enhance their learning and growth.