Safety Climate, Job Satisfaction and Emotional Exhaustion in Paediatric Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Purpose: Various studies demonstrated that emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction influencing the patient safety, but the majority of research did not consider paediatric units. In the paediatric scene, the staff nurse experienced factors additional stressors as the constant suffering of parents due to illness or process death of the child. To evaluate the correlation among safety climate, job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion of nursing staff in paediatric units. We analysed the predictors effects of exhaustion emotional and job satisfaction over the safety climate.

Methods: A cross-section design study was carried out in two paediatric hospitals at São Paulo- Brazil. A sample of 297 registered nurses, nursing aides and nursing technicians. For data coleta was used the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire – Short Form and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The Spearman Coefficient was used to analyse the correlation among the variables and the multiple linear regression model was performed to test the predictive value of the variables emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction on safety climate.

Results: This study showed that one out of four nursing professionals considered a positive safety climate in your work and 50% was satisfied with their job. High-level emotional exhaustion was founded in 25% of nursing staff. There was a significant correlation among emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and safety climate. It means that the lower the emotional exhaustion  and the higher job satisfaction perceived by nursing professionals, more positive was the perception of safety climate. Multiple linear regression model highlighted job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion as a  strong predictors of safety climate in paediatric hospitals.

Conclusion: High-level emotional exhaustion and low job satisfaction are present in a quarter of staff nurse and are associated with negative safety climate. The safety climate in paediatric units can improve if we reduce emotional exhaustion levels, and if the investments were to improve the job satisfaction. Efforts for develop strategies for stress relief and improvements in job satisfaction can contribute positively in patient safety results.