Factors Influencing Safety Practices of Nurses in The Pediatric Unit of the Tamale West Hospital

A higher number of pediatric patients experience harm during hospitalization as a result of a range of errors and adverse events. However, the issue of pediatric patient safety has not been sufficiently addressed in Ghana, especially the current study setting. This study explored the factors influencing safety practices of nurses in the pediatric ward. This was a descriptive exploratory qualitative study which used interviews to collect data from the participants. Data were collected from N=12 participants who were selected using purposive sampling. Participants were interviewed using interview guide with open ended questions. Notes and audio recordings of all responses were taken and subsequently transcribed and analyzed using content analysis approach. The findings of the study indicate that, hospitalized children’s safety is affected by several factors. Some key factors identified from the study that affected pediatric patient safety include: inadequate staffing, work experience, attitude of nurses, the age of the child, lack of logistics, limited space, documentation, incident reporting, team work, and language barrier. The factors affecting pediatric patient safety are not adequately addressed at the pediatric ward, and more attention needs to be directed to the safety of hospitalized children. Patient safety is a very critical aspect of health care delivery at the health facilities across the country. In every health facility in Ghana, patient safety is always a priority, as far as patient care is concerned. The safety of hospitalized children needs to be ensured in all aspect of the care given to them. Providing care to children in a complex environment by different units and individuals may result in some harm to the children. Hospitalized children however, experience various adverse events at the hospital that affect their safety. The study revealed that, several factors relating to nursing practices affect the safety of hospitalized children. Nurses are the major stakeholders in the hospital and play a very vital role in patient safety.