Factors Affecting Nurses' Malpractice Tendency: A University Hospital Example

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine nurses' propensity for medical errors and to examine the individual, professional, and environmental factors that influence this propensity. Medical errors are serious risks that threaten patient safety and directly affect the quality of healthcare services. The intensity and diversity of nurses' professional duties increase the likelihood of errors, thereby necessitating systematic evaluation. The study was conducted on 254 nurses working at the Uludağ University Health Application and Research Center. A correlational survey model was adopted in the study, and the Nursing Medical Error Propensity Scale developed by Özata and Altunkan (2010) was used as the data collection tool. The scale consists of a total of 49 items in five sub-dimensions and is structured using a five-point Likert scale. The results of the study show that nurses generally have a low propensity for medical errors. However, factors such as age, years of experience, presence of health issues, shift work, job satisfaction, satisfaction with team communication, and department changes were found to significantly influence error tendencies. In particular, nurses with health issues, those working shifts, and those dissatisfied with team communication had higher medical error tendency scores. These findings indicate the need to restructure nurses' working conditions, improve sleep and rest periods, manage stress and workload, enhance team communication, and increase opportunities for continuous education. Such measures will reduce nurses' risk of error, thereby improving patient safety and service quality.