Nurse safety: How is safety climate related to affect and attitude?

Ashley E. Nixon, Julie J. Lanz, Archana Manapragada, Valentina Bruk-Lee, April Schantz, Jose F. Rodriguez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Occupational accidents and injuries continue to be a critical concern for nurses, given the hazardous healthcare environment. This study advances the research on workplace safety by studying the process variables (i.e. job-related negative affect (JRNA) and job satisfaction) in explaining the relationship between safety climate and various safety criteria in nurses. Based on survey data from 326 nurses, our findings suggest that psychological safety climate is negatively related to JRNA, turnover intentions, safety workarounds, and workplace hazards. In addition, structural equation modelling indicated general support for a model in which psychological safety climate influences employee strain through job attitudes, including JRNA and job satisfaction. More specifically, job attitudes were found to mediate the relationship between psychological safety climate and turnover intentions, experience of hazards, and injuries. Safety workarounds did not significantly relate to injuries. The present study contributes to the ongoing improvement of interventions aimed at mitigating nurses’ injuries by integrating job attitudes into the safety climate–safety outcome framework.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)401-419
Number of pages19
JournalWork and Stress
Volume29
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Psychological safety climate
  • hazards
  • injuries
  • job attitudes
  • nurses
  • safety workarounds

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology

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