Effect of Nurses’ Professionalism, Work Environment, and Communication with Health Professionals on Patient Safety Culture (AHRQ 2.0.): A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

Abstract

Aims. To identify nurses’ professionalism, work environment, and communication with healthcare professionals as factors influencing clinical nurses’ perception of patient safety culture. Background. Patient safety is a representative indicator of the quality of nursing care. A multidisciplinary approach, including individual and organizational components, is needed to improve patient safety culture. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 involving a total of 271 nurses in six tertiary hospitals. Data were collected from participants on nurse professionalism, work environment, communication, and patient safety culture. A multiple regression model was used to analyze variables influencing patient safety culture. Results. Factors affecting patient safety culture were nursing foundations for quality of care (β = 0.230, $p<0.001$ ), nurse manager ability, leadership, support of nurses (β = 0.294, $p<0.001$ ), and collegial nurse-physician relations (β = −0.138, $p=0.026$ ) in the nursing work environment. Accuracy (β = 0.117, $p=0.007$ ), shift communication (β = 0.128, $p=0.026$ ), satisfaction (β = 0.283, $p=0.001$ ), and timeliness (β = 0.239, $p<0.001$ ) of communication between healthcare professionals and nurses have a significant impact on patient safety culture. All these predictors accounted for 59% (R2) of patient safety culture awareness ( $p<0.001$ ). Conclusions. Enhancing patient safety culture requires a systematic and organizational approach that considers individual characteristics. Nurse managers play a crucial role in promoting patient safety by employing various communication channels and leading team education and training initiatives to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals. Implications for Nursing Management. The provision of patient safety education directly influences patient safety culture, and continuous education enables nurses to grow within the institution. To ensure effective communication in healthcare settings, nurse managers should prioritize shift communication, evaluate the accuracy of information exchange, and establish diverse communication channels, including social media platforms or business messengers, for internal hospital communication.