Influence of Nursing Work Environment and Nursing Professionalism on Medication Safety Competence among Nurses in General Hospitals

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how the nursing work environment and nursing professionalism influence medication safety competence among nurses working in general hospitals.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 269 nurses who had at least six months of experience performing medication-related tasks in general hospitals. Data were collected from August 30 to September 10, 2024. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 30.0.Results: The mean scores for the nursing work environment, nursing professionalism, and medication safety competence were 2.72±0.44, 3.73±0.50, and 3.98±0.57, respectively. Significant correlations were identified between the nursing work environment and nursing professionalism (r=.51, p<.001), between the nursing work environment and medication safety competence (r=.26, p<.001), and between nursing professionalism and medication safety competence (r=.44, p<.001). Medication safety competence was significantly associated with nursing professionalism (β=.46, p<.001), total clinical experience (β=.32, p<.001), and experience with medication errors (β=.11, p=.023). The hierarchical regression model explained 37.5% of the variance in medication safety competence (F=20.35, p<.001).Conclusion: Strategies to strengthen nurses’ professionalism, utilize medication error experience as a learning opportunity, and support the maintenance of clinical experience are recommended.