The study points out the strengths and weaknesses of the safety culture in maternity wards

Patient safety is a constant concern for nursing teams in healthcare institutions, especially during childbirth, a period that involves many risks and vulnerabilities for the mother and baby. Given this situation, a strong and functional safety culture is essential to minimize adverse events and ensure quality obstetric care.

But what is it like in reality? To answer this question, a study was conducted in two maternity hospitals in Portugal, with the aim of evaluating the safety culture in the clinical practice of maternity nurses. Search by title Safety culture in the clinical practice of obstetric nursesIdentified strengths and weaknesses that can help build a safer environment for pregnant women and professionals.

Indicators
The “teamwork within units” dimension emerged as the strongest point, as it received more than 75% of positive responses. This suggests that interprofessional collaboration is an established practice in the maternity hospitals studied.

However, other dimensions have provided worrying findings:
– Non-punitive response to mistakes: A punitive culture still prevails, making open communication about mistakes and organizational learning difficult.
– Frequent notification of events: Underreporting of adverse events is a problem that prevents identification of failures and implementation of corrective measures.
– Teamwork between units: Communication between different maternity units must be improved to ensure more effective and safe care.
– Supporting patient safety by the administration: The study indicates that the hospital administration needs to be more committed to patient safety, and invest in human and material resources.
– Number of professionals: The shortage of health professionals, especially obstetric nurses, increases the burden on teams and negatively affects the quality of care.

future
The study reinforces the importance of periodically evaluating the safety culture in maternity wards. Based on this assessment, it is possible to implement measures to enhance the positive points and overcome the identified challenges.

Some measures that can be taken to improve the safety culture in maternity wards:
– Create a more open and collaborative work environment, where professionals feel comfortable reporting mistakes and learning from them.
– Encouraging reporting of negative events, without fear of punishment.
– Promoting effective communication between different maternity units.
– Investing in ongoing training for healthcare professionals in the field of patient safety.
– Increase the number of health professionals, especially obstetric nurses, to ensure care more tailored to the needs of pregnant women.

Building a solid safety culture is an ongoing process that requires the involvement of all maternity professionals, from hospital administration to the direct care team. By implementing measures to enhance patient safety, it is possible to ensure a safer environment for pregnant women, children and healthcare providers.

To learn more about the study, read on Complete article.

Source: Ascom/Cofen, based on a study of safety culture in the clinical practice of obstetric nurses