Assessment of patient safety culture in a Brazilian trauma reference hospital

Authors

Keywords:

Organizational Culture, Quality of Health Care, Safety Management, Risk Management, Patient Safety

Abstract

Objective: To assess the patient safety culture in a trauma reference hospital in Rio Grande do Norte.

Method: Cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted between May and August 2023, using the E-Questionnaire on Hospital Safety Culture with professionals from the multi-professional team. Descriptive analysis was performed, based on the percentage of positive responses in the twelve dimensions of the instrument.

Results: 97 professionals participated (16.4%). No dimension was classified as a strength. The weakest were management support for safety (21.7%), non-punitive response to errors (26.8%), and frequency of reported events (27.3%). The best, although neutral, were organizational learning/continuous improvement (73.2%), management/supervision expectations and actions (55.8%), and teamwork (54.9%).

Conclusion: The safety culture was found to be weakened, suggesting institutional interventions with non-punitive approaches to errors and greater management engagement with the care context.

Author Biographies

Maria Teresa Sales de Souza, University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Nurse. Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Cecília Olívia Paraguai de Oliveira Saraiva, University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Nurse. PhD in Nursing, Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Alcides Viana de Lima Neto, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Nurse. PhD in Nursing, Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairi (UFRN/FACISA), Santa Cruz, RN, Brazil.

Amanda Carvalho Maciel, Secretaria de Saúde Pública do Rio Grande do Norte

Physiotherapist. Specialist in Quality in Health and Patient Safety, Public Health Secretariat of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Selena Doriana de Souza Feitosa Guerra, Public Health Secretariat of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Physiotherapist. Specialist in Quality in Health and Patient Safety, Public Health Secretariat of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Monalisa Tertulino de Souza, University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Nurse. Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.

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Published

2026-04-09

How to Cite

de Souza, M. T. S., Saraiva, C. O. P. de O., de Lima Neto, A. V., Maciel, A. C., Guerra, S. D. de S. F., & de Souza, M. T. (2026). Assessment of patient safety culture in a Brazilian trauma reference hospital. Cogitare Enfermagem, 31. Retrieved from https://revistas.ufpr.br/cogitare/article/view/101456

Issue

Vol. 31 (2026)

Section

Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Teresa Sales de Souza, Cecília Olívia Paraguai de Oliveira Saraiva, Alcides Viana de Lima Neto, Amanda Carvalho Maciel, Selena Doriana de Souza Feitosa Guerra, Monalisa Tertulino de Souza

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