Assessment of safety attitudes in a skilled nursing facility

Geriatr Nurs. 2007 Mar-Apr;28(2):126-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2007.01.001.

Abstract

Safety has not been well studied in the long-term care setting. This pilot study assesses staff attitudes regarding safety culture at one 250-bed skilled nursing facility. A valid and reliable Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was administered once to a sample of 51 employees. Nursing staff and other health care staff were generally satisfied with their jobs (42% and 67% had a positive attitude, respectively) but gave low scores to Management (22% and 13%, respectively) and Safety Climate (28% and 33%, respectively). Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse management/supervisors received the highest ratings for quality of collaboration and communication (range: 3.6-4.1 on a 5-point Likert scale with 1 = very low, 5 = very high), whereas nurse practitioners and physician assistants received the lowest (range: 2.5-2.9). The SAQ provided insight into employees' safety attitudes and can be used to identify opportunities for improvements in safety.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Clinical Competence / standards
  • Communication
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Personnel / education
  • Health Personnel / psychology*
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Interprofessional Relations
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Male
  • New York
  • Nurse Administrators / education
  • Nurse Administrators / psychology
  • Nurse Practitioners / education
  • Nurse Practitioners / psychology
  • Nursing Assistants / education
  • Nursing Assistants / psychology
  • Nursing Methodology Research
  • Nursing Staff / education
  • Nursing Staff / psychology
  • Nursing, Practical / education
  • Nursing, Practical / organization & administration
  • Organizational Culture
  • Physician Assistants / education
  • Physician Assistants / psychology
  • Pilot Projects
  • Safety Management* / organization & administration
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities* / organization & administration
  • Surveys and Questionnaires