JNSS 2017, 8(3-4):128-135 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2017.015

The importance of teamwork for the provision of patient safety

Radka Pokojová^*, Sylva Bártlová

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Aim: The research aim was to find out how employees perceive patient safety in their workplace. We focused on the aspects of teamwork as the key factors in a security culture.

Methods: The AHRQ standardized questionnaire: "The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" (HSOPSC), was used to find out the respondents' opinions. 331 healthcare practicioners were included in the research.

Results: The value of the composite score (37.37%) for the area of Team cooperation within hospital units was the second lowest in the total assessment. In the area of Teamwork within workplace, the composite score was 66.82% and in the Patient transfer dimension it was 75.20%. Our results confirm the trend of other studies, which show the results of the teamwork between hospital units to be one of the lowest.

Conclusion: In the successful development of a patient safety programme it is important for the managers to know the views of first-line workers. The results of the survey, expressed by the value of the composite score, indicate opportunities for improvement, which especially means supported interdisciplinary teamwork in our research.

Keywords: patient safety; adverse event; safety culture; teamwork

Received: August 4, 2017; Accepted: October 27, 2017; Published: September 1, 2017  Show citation