The Effect of Surgical Nurses' Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices on Patient Safety Culture: Descriptive and Relationship-Seeking Study

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the relationship and the effect of surgical nurses' attitudes towards evidence-based nursing practices on patient safety culture. 
 Material and Methods: The sample of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of 364 nurses working in the surgical wards of a university hospital in Malatya. Data were collected using the nurse descriptive information form, attitudes towards evidence-based nursing scale and patient safety culture scale. 
 Results: The mean total score of patient safety culture of surgical nurses was 3.60±0.38 and the mean total score of attitudes towards evidence-based nursing practice was 60.07±6.01. There was a strong positive correlation between evidence-based nursing practices and patient safety culture (r=0.705, p=0.000). In the regression analysis, it was seen that the attitude towards evidence-based nursing practices, which was the predictor variable, explained approximately 49.7% of the variance in the predicted variable of patient safety culture (F=358.175; R2 = .497; p=0.000).
 Conclusion: In the study, it was found that the attitudes of surgical nurses towards evidence-based nursing practices and patient safety culture were positive. It was found that surgical nurses with higher attitudes towards evidence-based nursing practices had more positive attitudes towards patient safety culture. Although patient safety culture is important for nurses working in all clinics, it is more important for nurses working in surgical clinics. Therefore, it is recommended that working conditions should be improved and in-service trainings should be planned in line with the latest evidence findings.