The Association Between Quality and Safety of Nursing Care: A Correlational Study

BACKGROUND: Patient safety culture is critical for ensuring quality nursing care, yet its role is not fully understood in various health care settings. PURPOSE: To explore the association between patient safety culture and nurses' perceptions of the quality of nursing care provided in hospitals in the Czech Republic. METHODS: A correlation study was conducted with 535 nurses from 6 hospitals using the questionnaires Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 2.0 and Scale of Perception of Nursing Activities that Contribute to Nursing Care Quality. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between nursing care quality and dimensions of patient safety culture. Supervisor, manager, or clinical leader support; reporting patient safety events; and handoffs and information exchange were important predictors for improving nursing care quality ( P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Management support, adverse events, effective communication, and teamwork are essential for improving patient safety and have a significant impact on the quality of nursing care provided and must be properly supported.