Facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety in Swedish hospitals: a qualitative study of nurses' perceptions Facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety in Swedish hospitals: a qualitative study of nurses' perceptions

Abstract

Abstract Background: Sweden has undertaken many national, regional, and local initiatives to improve patient safety since the mid-2000s, but solid evidence of effectiveness for many solutions is often lacking. Nurses play a vital role in patient safety, constituting 71% of the workforce in Swedish health care. This interview study aimed to explore perceived facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety among nurses involved in the direct provision of care. Considering the importance of nurses with regard to patient safety, this knowledge could facilitate the development and implementation of better solutions. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured individual interviews was carried out. The study population consisted of 12 registered nurses at general hospitals in Sweden. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The nurses identified 22 factors that influenced patient safety within seven categories: 'patient factors', 'individual staff factors', 'team factors', 'task and technology factors', 'work environment factors', 'organizational and management factors', and 'institutional context factors'. Twelve of the 22 factors functioned as both facilitators and barriers, six factors were perceived only as barriers, and four only as facilitators. There were no specific patterns showing that barriers or facilitators were more common in any category