Positive Practice Environments, Nurse Reported Quality of Care and Patient Safety: Is There a Relationship?

Klopper, Hester

Wednesday, 1 August 2012: 11:10 AM

Hester Klopper, PhD, MBA, RN, RM, FANSA
Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
Siedine Coetzee, PhD, RN
School of Nursing Science, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Linda H. Aiken, RN, PhD, FAAN, FRCN
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Walter Sermeus, PhD, RN
Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research, Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Learning Objective 1: describe the practice environments, nurse reported quality of care and patient safety of professional nurses and sub-category nurses in hospitals in SA

Learning Objective 2: understand the relationship between practice environments, nurse reported quality of care and patient safety of professional nurses and sub-category nurses in hospitals in SA

Purpose:

The divided healthcare system demands an understanding of how private and public hospital nurse work environments in South Africa affect nurse reported quality of care and patient safety, as well as the occurrence of adverse incidents involving patients in hospitals. The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the practice environment, and nurse reported quality of care and patient safety of professional nurses and sub-category nurses in medical-surgical units in private and public hospitals of South Africa.

Methods:

The RN4CAST survey was used. The portions of the survey used in this study include the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, nurse reported quality of care and patient safety issues, as well as the occurrence of adverse incidents involving patients in the unit. A stratified sample of 55 private hospitals and 7 national referral hospitals were included in the study. An all inclusive sample of professional nurses and sub-category nurses were included in the study.

Results:

A significant link was found between the practice environments in private and public hospitals in South Africa and nurse reported quality of care and patient safety. Hospitals with better practice environments had higher reports of quality of care and patient safety.

Conclusions:

Reform of hospital nurse work environments in the private and public healthcare sectors in South Africa are likely to improve nurse reported quality of care and patient safety, as well as the occurrence of adverse incidents involving patients in hospitals in South Africa.

See more of: Nursing Leadership: International Nursing Issues
See more of: Research Sessions: Oral Paper & Posters