NU3 -- Measuring a Culture of Safety in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: A Longitudinal Study
Document Type
Event
Abstract
As many as 440,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. due to preventable medical errors. To improve patient safety, healthcare institutions have begun adopting a culture of safety in which errors are transparently reported without fear of reprisal. Safety culture is routinely measured in healthcare institutions with the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC), created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). High scores are associated with decreases in patient harm and hospital mortality. Little is known about the culture of safety found in and fostered by schools of nursing. Research shows that traditional nursing education has focused on individual accountability to prevent medical error, rather than on embracing a culture of safety. Measuring safety culture in schools of nursing is an important step in improving patient outcomes. The School of Nursing Culture of Safety Survey (SON-COSS) was developed in 2018 to measure safety culture in schools of nursing. The survey is based upon the HSOPSC and initially contained demographic questions, 27 Likert scale questions assessing attitudes about eight dimensions of safety culture, and three open ended questions. Initial psychometric analysis demonstrated the survey was valid and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7), but recommendations were made for modification. Eight dimensions were reduced to six, students were asked to consider simulation as part of their clinical experience, and Likert scale questions about skills (8 questions) and knowledge (7 questions) were added. In 2020, the SON-COSS-R was given to students upon entry into and exit from the Mary Black College of Nursing (MBCON). Preliminary analysis of the data revealed that MBCON SON-COSS scores are higher than those found in the initial national survey. Upon graduation, skills and knowledge scores were higher than entry level scores, but attitude scores decreased. These results suggest that though the MBCON is effectively educating students about safety culture skills and knowledge, the program has not yet achieved a culture of safety. Psychometric and Exploratory factor analysis is being performed to ensure the SON-COSS-R is a valid and reliable tool. Analysis of KSAs about safety culture has the potential to provide nurse educators with a tool for benchmarking the effectiveness of educational strategies for promoting a culture of safety. The SON-COSS-R could be used to compare safety culture at a national level to determine curricular elements that effectively promote a culture of safety.
Keywords
Nursing, General Health Science
NU3 -- Measuring a Culture of Safety in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: A Longitudinal Study
URC Greatroom
As many as 440,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. due to preventable medical errors. To improve patient safety, healthcare institutions have begun adopting a culture of safety in which errors are transparently reported without fear of reprisal. Safety culture is routinely measured in healthcare institutions with the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC), created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). High scores are associated with decreases in patient harm and hospital mortality. Little is known about the culture of safety found in and fostered by schools of nursing. Research shows that traditional nursing education has focused on individual accountability to prevent medical error, rather than on embracing a culture of safety. Measuring safety culture in schools of nursing is an important step in improving patient outcomes. The School of Nursing Culture of Safety Survey (SON-COSS) was developed in 2018 to measure safety culture in schools of nursing. The survey is based upon the HSOPSC and initially contained demographic questions, 27 Likert scale questions assessing attitudes about eight dimensions of safety culture, and three open ended questions. Initial psychometric analysis demonstrated the survey was valid and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7), but recommendations were made for modification. Eight dimensions were reduced to six, students were asked to consider simulation as part of their clinical experience, and Likert scale questions about skills (8 questions) and knowledge (7 questions) were added. In 2020, the SON-COSS-R was given to students upon entry into and exit from the Mary Black College of Nursing (MBCON). Preliminary analysis of the data revealed that MBCON SON-COSS scores are higher than those found in the initial national survey. Upon graduation, skills and knowledge scores were higher than entry level scores, but attitude scores decreased. These results suggest that though the MBCON is effectively educating students about safety culture skills and knowledge, the program has not yet achieved a culture of safety. Psychometric and Exploratory factor analysis is being performed to ensure the SON-COSS-R is a valid and reliable tool. Analysis of KSAs about safety culture has the potential to provide nurse educators with a tool for benchmarking the effectiveness of educational strategies for promoting a culture of safety. The SON-COSS-R could be used to compare safety culture at a national level to determine curricular elements that effectively promote a culture of safety.