Nurses' perception of error reporting and patient safety culture in Korea

An exploratory study was conducted with 886 nurses at eight Korean teaching hospitals to describe nurses' perception of frequency of error reporting and patient safety culture in their hospitals and to identify relationships between the nurses' perception and work-related factors. The authors found that the majority of nurses were not comfortable reporting errors or communicating concerns about safety issues. A significant portion reported concerns about patient safety issues in their working unit. Nurses on the front line evaluated various aspects related to patient safety culture as being more of a problem than nurses who are older (p <.01) and who work in management positions (p <.05). The authors conclude that error reporting and the safety culture in Korean teaching hospitals are not emphasized enough. The authors suggest that patient safety could be improved in a nonpunitive culture where individuals can openly discuss medical errors and potential hazards.