Patient Safety Culture: Sample of a University Hospital in Turkey

Objective: To assess health personnel perspectives of patient safety culture in a 900 bed University Hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Methodology: Data was collected by the researchers using a survey method. “Patient Safety Culture Survey” developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was used in the study. The survey was translated into Turkish and checked for validity and reliability. The survey used a 5-point Likert scale. Results: Overall response rates were 43% overall and most of the respondents (73.1%) were women and while 42.6% of the respondents were nurses, 45% of the respondents have five years or less work experience in the current hospital. The percentage of health personnel holding positive attitude was 72% for teamwork with units, 55% for overall perceptions of patient safety, and 53% for manager actions promoting patient safety. Conclusion: Patient safety is an important issue in providing quality health services. Health staff should take responsibility about patient safety and related institutions should give priority to develop patient safety culture.