Affiliation:
1. Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, University of Malta
2. Staff Nurse, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta
Abstract
Although the science of patient safety has been developed and implemented widely, there remains a large gap in the understanding of the chain of events that lead to safety incidents, as well as their cost to patients, healthcare staff and the organisation as a whole. The aim of the study was to evaluate nurses' knowledge and awareness of the local incident reporting system at Malta's acute general hospital. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional design was used and data were collected from nurses through an online survey. A total of 323 questionnaires were received with a response rate of 23%. Various shortages within the local setting were identified, including lack of feedback and awareness of the system. Therefore, it is suggested that incident reporting should be given a higher profile on the organisation's agenda and incorporate employed members of staff rather than volunteers.