Safety Attitudes Build Safety Culture: Nurse/Midwife Leaders Improving Healthcare Using Quantitative Data.

Abstract

AIM\nTo determine safety attitudes of nurses and midwives across a Local Health District in Australia and compare results one year later following facilitated feedback of results.\n\n\nBACKGROUND\nPositive safety cultures are imperative for positive patient and staff outcomes. Staff member s attitude contribute to an organisations safety culture, but can differ between health professional groups and across different subcultures.\n\n\nMETHOD\nThe Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-Short version) was administered to all nurses and midwives within a Local Health District in NSW, Australia in 2019 and 2020. Results were facilitated back to nursing/midwifery leadership teams with an expectation of developing and enacting an action plan, based on results.\n\n\nRESULTS\nOf the six domains in the SAQ-Short version, five domains scores increased significantly (p <0.001) over the time period.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nMeasures over time are important to establish differences in perceptions and feedback on impact of actions. Facilitated feedback of results shows meaning when nursing/midwifery leadership staff have data explained and an opportunity to discuss and plan.\n\n\nIMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT\nThis study shows that facilitated feedback of quantitative survey results brings improved results when a survey is replicated. Nurse Managers should enact a contextualised action plan with teams based on survey results to influence improvement in safety attitudes of staff.