Working environment of the emergency department nurses' effect of patient safety attitudes

This study is a descriptive study conducted to investigate the effect of emergency room working environment on nurses' attitudes towards patient safety. The study was conducted in emergency departments of southern and northern regions public hospitals and university hospitals in Izmir city. 288 nurses who worked 6 months or more in emergency departments of the hospitals, where the study was conducted, between the dates April and December 2014 and accepted to participate to study comprised the sample. The data were evaluated via computer with number, percentile, t test, Kruskal Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test and corelation analyse. Of the participants; 52 % were 30 years old or younger; 50.3 % had professional experience 6 years and less 84% worked in day and night shifts; 53.8% worked 50 hours or more; 63.2% cared 40 patients daily or more. It was found that the mean score of patient safety attitudes scale was 136.69±22.14, and for the means of subscale scores; job satisfaction was 27.54±8.55, team work was 32.94±8.29, security climate was 15.86±4.21, management mentality was 21.51±5.40, identifying stress was 13.61±4.40, and working conditions was 18.72±3.41. The mean score of work environment scale was found 84.51±12.02, and 38% positive way a significant correlation was detected between patient safety attitudes scale total score and work environment scale total score. In conclusion of the study, it was detected that patient safety attitudes of emergency department nurses were medium level and work environments effected patient safety attitudes positively. Key words: Emergency department, Nurse, Patient Safety, Work environment