Associations between safety outcomes and communication practices among pediatric nurses in the United States

Purpose: To gain a deeper understanding of RNs communication related to patient safety.

Research aims: To determine: (1) the associations between the communication of registered nurses (RNs) within their health care teams and the frequency that they reported safety events; (2) the associations between RNs' communication within their health care teams and their perceptions of safety within the hospital unit; and (3) whether RNs' communication had improved from 2016 to 2018.

Theoretical framework and methods: We used the United Kingdom's Safety Culture model as the theoretical framework for this study. Our secondary data analysis from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture included 2016 (n = 5298) and 2018 (n = 3476) using multiple regression models to determine associations between responses for Communication Openness and Feedback & Communication About Error, and outcome responses for Frequency of Events Reported and Overall Perceptions of Safety.

Results: Our findings were: 1). In both 2016 and 2018 datasets, Feedback About Error had a greater impact on Reporting Frequency than Open Communication; 2). Feedback About Error had a greater impact on Safety Perceptions than Open Communication; 3). Open Communication and Feedback About Error and their associations with Reporting Frequency and Safety Perceptions showed little change; and, 4). The proportion of variance was low, indicating factors other than Open Communication and Feedback About Error were involved with Reporting Frequency and Safety Perceptions.

Conclusion: Pediatric RNs' communication, reporting, and perceptions of patient safety have not improved. (245 words).