To report or not report? Attitudes held by Norwegian nursing home staff on reporting inadequate care carried out by colleagues

Abstract

Staff who observe acts of inadequate care committed by colleagues agree that it is their intention to report such incidents. Institutions need to develop and implement mechanisms for understanding and evaluating acts of inadequate care, and staff must be encouraged to speak out on behalf of residents rather than be punished for doing so.

Reporting of professional misconduct is influenced by nurses' level of education and managerial experience

“…Higher levels of education have previously been reported as an important factor in attitude and willingness to report on inadequate care 4. This study found nurses with higher levels of education and those with managerial task experience more likely to report suspicions of incompetence, yet no difference was found in education level in reporting suspicions of impairment.…”

Mixed method integrative review exploring nurses’ recognition and response to unsafe practice

“…Reporting of inadequate care by qualified nurses was influenced by the severity of the act, whether or not the reporting nurse felt they would get support from their colleagues and employer, the potential repercussions for themselves and their colleague and the response they received from the colleague in question when they approached them for an explanation (Malmedal et al . ). This suggests that the safety and rights of patients is weighed up against the risk and consequences of reporting for the nurse.…”

“…, Malmedal et al . ). Bellefonte () suggests many nurses do not report peers because they lack the confidence and support to do so and there is evidence that experience, confidence and support may affect reporting (Luhanga et al .…”

“…It is also possible that nurses act to maintain patient safety when peers practice unsafely rather than reporting the behaviours. Current studies suggest that both nursing students and Registered Nurses weigh up the potential for harm to the patient against personal risks of reporting another nurse's practice before deciding to report (Espin et al 2006, Malmedal et al 2009). Bellefonte (2009) suggests many nurses do not report peers because they lack the confidence and support to do so and there is evidence that experience, confidence and support may affect reporting (Luhanga et al 2008a,b).…”

“…The findings from this study are significant and due to the high response rates can be generalized to other nursing populations with similar healthcare systems. Malmedal et al (2009) studied the attitudes of nursing home staff in Sweden to reporting inadequate care using a cross-sectional research design (n = 616, response rate = 79%). Reporting of inadequate care by qualified nurses was influenced by the severity of the act, whether or not the reporting nurse felt they would get support from their colleagues and employer, the potential repercussions for themselves and their colleague and the response they received from the colleague in question when they approached them for an explanation (Malmedal et al 2009).…”