Perceptions of pediatric hospital safety culture in the United States: an analysis of the 2016 Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture.
Measuring hospital safety culture is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Although the relationship between a strong safety culture and improved outcomes for patients is not well established in existing literature, developing a sound safety culture is considered important for patient safety. In this cross-sectional study using data from the AHRQ Survey on Hospital Patient Safety Culture, researchers sought to understand the perceptions of pediatric hospital safety culture among interprofessional health care providers working at 287 pediatric hospitals or units. In keeping with prior research, they found that perceptions of safety culture among pediatric professionals, including nurses, physician assistants/nurse practitioners, physicians, and hospital administrators, varied both within hospitals and units. The authors identified safety culture dimensions that could be targeted for improvement and determined that all four professional groups perceived a punitive work culture. A past PSNet perspective emphasized the importance of establishing a culture of safety.