The competencies of the nursing leader in promoting a safety culture in hospital services: scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0223e.42340Keywords:
nurse leader; leadership; safety culture; hospital; patient safetyAbstract
Introduction: Safety culture is a global priority due to its direct impact on patients and healthcare institutions, and it is increasingly valued by administrators. Organizational leadership, particularly nursing leadership, plays a crucial role in promoting it, requiring specific competencies to ensure the engagement of all staff in the responsibility for patient safety.
Objective: To map the evidence regarding the competencies of nursing leaders in promoting a patient safety culture in hospitals.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, using multiple databases and grey literature. The search included terms such as nurse leader, leadership, safety culture, and hospital. Articles focusing on nursing leadership competencies in hospital safety culture were included, while those not involving nurse leaders or not written in Portuguese, Spanish, English, or French were excluded.
Results: Out of 2,243 articles identified, 955 were included after removing duplicates. A total of 936 were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, leaving 19 for full-text review. After further analysis, 6 articles were selected. Among these, 4 highlighted transformational leadership and a positive culture, while 5 identified communications as an essential competency for promoting a safety culture.
Conclusion: Nurses, as the largest and closest group of professionals to patients within healthcare teams, play a central role in identifying risks and making decisions that ensure patient safety. Through their leadership, they influence and motivate teams, aligning them with institutional goals. To foster a strong safety culture, transparency and open communication stand out as essential competencies.
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