The evaluation of nurse's working environment in terms of patients and nurse's safety

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate nurses' working environment in tems of patients and nurses safety. Methods: This study was administered with 393 volunteered nurses who work at İzmir General Secretary of South State Hospitals Organization Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital. The data of this study was collected through "The Information Form" which prepared related to patient and nurse safety and socio-demographic information and "Working Environment Scale". For analyze of the study was applied frequency, percent, and cross-section. For analyzes of independent variables and the scale sub-dimensions averages was used one way anova. Findings: Age mean of the nurses attending this study 35,76 ±7,1 were in 30-39 age group 50,4% of them, bachelor's degree 57,8% of them and work as clinical nurses 79,1% of them. The most important threaten to patients' safety was stated "Patient falling down" with 66,2%, the biggest cause of the medication errors were stated "Overworking" with 59,8%, the most important cause of exposing to violence was stated "Inadequacyof safety measures and legal regulations" with 81,7%, suffered from back pain or injury related the job of 22,9% of the nurses and only 8,9% of them were reported.Working Environment Scale score average was 3,51±1,0 (Min:2,94, Max:3,97).The "Job Satisfaction" points of the nurses in 30-39 age group and Surgical Clinic staff's "Professional relations" dimension point averages were found significantly higher than the others (p<0,05). Results: The findings showed that the nurses participate reported low level of the situations threatening patients' and nurses' safety and assessed their working environment favorable. Key Words: Working environment, Patient safety, Nurse safety.