The Effect of Emergency Nurses’ Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave on Patient Safety Culture: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The current nursing shortage jeopardizes the quality and safety of patient care globally. In Saudi Arabia, there are insufficient numbers of Saudi nurses to support the healthcare system, and Saudi hospitals rely heavily on expatriate nurses to meet staffing demands. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of job satisfaction and intent to leave on the patient safety culture. The present study was carried out using a cross-sectional design. Convenience sampling method was applied, and 214 nurses participated in the study. Study was conducted in three hospitals operated by Saudi Ministry of Health in Madinah city. Three instruments were used to measure the study variables. Data were analysed using SPSS. The findings of the current research showed that the suitable work environment for the participant nurses in the current research. The findings of this study showed that nurse’s job satisfaction has a positive and significant influence on patient safety culture (β = 0.28, $p=0.003$ ). Furthermore, the results from the parsimonious regression model indicated that intentions to leave had a negative and significant effect on patient safety culture (β = −0.34, $p<0.01$ ). Based on the study findings, patient safety should be considered as a strategic priority for the senior nurses’ managers of the health system. To enhance patient safety, the current study emphasizes that nurse managers should pay attentions to factors such as job satisfaction and intent to leave to evaluating safety culture in organizations that deliver health service, especially hospitals.