Nursing professionals' perceptions of patient safety management in a public health service

Abstract

Introduction: patient safety is an essential component of healthcare quality and a prerequisite for any clinical activity. Only recently, based on objective data, has patient safety begun to be considered a key issue in healthcare practice.
Objective: this study aimed to determine the perception of nursing professionals regarding patient safety management in a public health service.
Methodology: this was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and probabilistic census sampling. The population consisted of 45 nursing professionals. The method used was a survey through interviews, employing a questionnaire adapted from the Spanish version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality. Data was tabulated in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using EpiInfo 7.2.0.1; tables were constructed from the results.
Results: ninety-four percent were aged between 26 and 39 years (mean: 32), 73 % were women, 96 % had less than 5 years of service, and 48 % worked night shifts. Strengths were identified in 7 of the 11 dimensions evaluated, highlighting management support (96 %) and staffing (91 %); opportunities for improvement included event reporting (73 %) and open communication (57 %).
Conclusion: nursing professionals showed a predominantly positive perception of patient safety management. Key strengths were identified in institutional support, while open communication emerged as an area for improvement.