Conceptions of patient safety through the prism of social representations of intensive care nurses.
Rejane Santos Barreto, Maria Lúcia Silva Servo, Alba Benemérita Alves Vilela and 3 others
PMID 34214283WHAT IT FOUND
Intensive care nurses viewed patient safety as a mix of vigilance, knowledge, and communication.
They described relying on protocols for guidance and teamwork for risk reduction, seeing safety as a collective responsibility rather than just individual tasks.
Key findings
01Nurses identified surveillance, knowledge, and communication as central elements of patient safety.
02Protocols and routines were described as essential tools for managing uncertainty and ensuring safe care.
03Effective communication within the multidisciplinary team was viewed as critical for preventing adverse events.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (20 nurses) from a single private hospital in Brazil. Findings are descriptive and do not measure outcomes or effectiveness. Social representations are subjective and may not reflect actual clinical behavior or patient outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that specific safety protocols or communication strategies reduce adverse events. This study describes nurses' perceptions, not clinical outcomes.