Relationship Between Patient Safety Culture, Attitudes Towards Patient Safety, and Moral Intelligence Among Nurses Working at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Esfarayen City, 2024

Authors
Sara AbediKooshki
Fatemeh Parvaneh Mayvan
Mohammad Barghamadi
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: One of the most critical issues in the healthcare sector, particularly in medical centers, is the quality of care. Quality of care encompasses various elements, with patient safety being one of the most significant. International evidence from numerous countries indicates that patient safety in healthcare and treatment facilities is often inadequate. According to a report by the World Health Organization, in developed countries, one in every 10 patients experiences adverse effects while receiving hospital services. The beliefs, moral values, and behavioral principles of nurses are fundamental to their commitment to maintaining patient safety while fulfilling their nursing responsibilities. These factors can significantly influence the safety status of patients, which is a key component of quality care. In this context, examining moral intelligence is essential, as it serves as a valuable measure of nurses’ moral capabilities. Moral intelligence refers to the ability to understand ethical principles, possess strong moral convictions, and act in accordance with them. A high level of moral intelligence implies consistently aligning actions with beliefs and values. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the relationship between patient safety culture, attitudes towards patient safety, and moral intelligence among nurses working in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Esfarayen in 2024.

Methods and Materials: The current study is a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical. The statistical population consists of nurses working at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Esfarayen. Due to the limited size of the population, a census method was employed to determine the sample size, which included 107 nurses. The Patient safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) was utilized as a standard tool for assessing the hospital’s patient safety culture, based on the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. The reliability of the SAQ was established using Cronbach's alpha values of 0.188, 0.175, and 0.82, respectively. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and SPSS statistical software.

Results: Results showed a significant relationship between moral intelligence and patient safety culture (p = 0.001; r = 0.348), between moral intelligence and attitude Patient safety (r = 0.76; p = 0.001), and between patient safety culture and patient safety attitude (r = 0.40; p = 0.001).

Conclusion and Discussion: According to the significant relationship between research variables, the results of this study show that the higher moral intelligence among nurses correlates with a more positive attitude towards patient safety and, accordingly, a stronger patient safety culture. Therefore, by enhancing moral intelligence through educational workshops, nurses' attitudes towards patient safety can be improved, thereby creating a foundation for enhancing patient safety and ultimately evaluating the quality of nursing care.



Keywords
Intelligence
Patient Safety
Nurses