Nurses’ attitudes and barriers to incident reporting in Malta’s acute general hospital : a survey

Abstract

Background: The science of patient safety has been developed and implemented widely. However, there is still a large gap in understanding the particular chain of events, the weaknesses and faults that lead to incidents, as well as their cost to patients, healthcare staff and the organisations as a whole. In addition, several studies reported that underreporting of incident reports still persists and organisational and personal barriers contribute to a healthcare culture of silence which is the antithesis of a safety culture. Objectives: To evaluate nurses’ knowledge and awareness of the local incident reporting system at Malta’s acute general hospital. Design: A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional design. Data was collected through an online survey. A total of 323 questionnaires were received with a response rate of 23%. Participants: All qualified full-time nurses who routinely provide direct care to patients in the local acute general hospital in Malta. Results: The study findings revealed that most of the local nurses had used incident reporting at least once throughout their career. Charge nurses and deputy charge nurses had a more positive attitude to incident reporting than more junior nurses. The most perceived barrier to incident reporting was lack of feedback. A positive correlation was found between the participants’ use of incident reporting and their nursing grade and years of experience. Conclusion and Implications: This study indicates various shortages identified within the local setting including lack of feedback and awareness of the system. Therefore, it is suggested that incident reporting should be given a higher profile on the organisation’s agenda in the local acute general hospital and incorporate employed members rather than volunteers.