Exploring Frequency of Event Reporting as Perceived by Intensive Care Units’ Nurses in Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Objectives: Little is known about the factors that affect the perceived frequency of event reporting among healthcare workers especially registered nurses working in Oman. This study aimed to find out whether fatigue, workload, burnout, and work environment as independent variables have a relationship with frequency of event reporting as dependent variable and to what extent the aforementioned independent variables predict the frequency of event reporting between nurses working in different intensive care units in selected hospitals in Oman. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional research design. Also this study used standardized questionnaires which are hospital survey on patient safety culture, fatigue assessment scale, maslach burnout inventory-human services survey, NASA task load index, and practice environment scale of the nursing work index. Registered nurses working in intensive care units participated in this study from two referral hospitals in Oman during the period between June and September 2018. Results: A total of 270 nurses were included in this study (response rate: 90%). There was a statistically significant positive relationship between personal accomplishment and the frequency of event reporting (r = 0.132, p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that nurses’ feedback and communication about errors predicted the frequency of events reporting between intensive care units’ nurses in Oman (R2 = 0.214, adjusted R2 = 0.046; F = 12.82, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Personal accomplishment and feedback and communication about error of intensive care units’ nurses had positive impact on perceived frequency of event reporting whereas no relationship found between fatigue, workload, work environment and frequency of event. Strategies need to be in place in health organizations to encourage nurses to report errors. Keywords: Burnout; Intensive care units’ nurses; Fatigue; frequency of event reporting; Work environment.