Assessment of the culture of patient safety in the surgical center: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the Patient Safety Culture (PSC) in a surgical center. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary public hospital in the Cariri region, Northeast Brazil. Participated in the research health professionals in the nursing area, who met the inclusion criteria: being a nursing professional and working at least 20 hours per week. Professionals associated and/or linked to the cooperative and those who occupied administrative functions were excluded. Results: Among CSP dimensions the following stood out: continued organizational learning 93.8% and management expectations/actions 85.6%. While the dimensions non-punitive response to mistakes (26.6%) and openness to communication and change of shift/transitions (65.8%), obtained the lowest results. Conclusion: Leadership can be of fundamental importance for building a strong CSP, by improving communication among the team and consequently removing the culture of individual blame for errors.