Influence of Demographic Characteristics, Shift Work, and Job Demands on Nurses Safety Attitude

Background and purpose: Patient safety culture is essential in preventing patient injuries in hospitals. Safety attitude is one of the valid tools used in assessment of safety culture among nurses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nurses safety attitude and also understanding the effect of demographic characteristics, work shifts, and job demands on that. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 325 nurses in Babol, north of Iran, 2016.  Demographic and organizational information were recorded. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) were used. Data analysis was done using regression analysis in SPSS V24. Results: The average values for psychological and physical demands of nurses were 32.7±9.4 and 8.8±2.8, respectively. According to the SAQ, the dimensions of stress recognition (73.6 ±17.9) and perception of management (48.8±16.2) were found with the highest and lowest mean scores, respectively. Also, regression model showed the wards, psychological demands, and physical work demands as the predictors of nurses attitude toward safety (P <0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, reducing the psychological and physical demands associated with work could improve safety attitude in nurses. Also, nursing managers should provide nurses with some training courses on controlling unsafe behavior and safety attitudes.