Background: Sweden has undertaken many national, regional, and local initiatives to improve patient safety since\nthe mid-2000s, but solid evidence of effectiveness for many solutions is often lacking. Nurses play a vital role in\npatient safety, constituting 71% of the workforce in Swedish health care. This interview study aimed to explore\nperceived facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety among nurses involved in the direct provision of\ncare. Considering the importance of nurses with regard to patient safety, this knowledge could facilitate the\ndevelopment and implementation of better solutions.\nMethods: A qualitative study with semi-structured individual interviews was carried out. The study population consisted\nof 12 registered nurses at general hospitals in Sweden. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.\nResults: The nurses identified 22 factors that influenced patient safety within seven categories: ââ?¬Ë?patient factorsââ?¬â?¢,\nââ?¬Ë?individual staff factorsââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?team factorsââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?task and technology factorsââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?work environment factorsââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?organizational and\nmanagement factorsââ?¬â?¢, and ââ?¬Ë?institutional context factorsââ?¬â?¢. Twelve of the 22 factors functioned as both facilitators and\nbarriers, six factors were perceived only as barriers, and four only as facilitators. There were no specific patterns showing\nthat barriers or facilitators were more common in any category.\nConclusion: A broad range of factors are important for patient safety according to registered nurses working in general\nhospitals in Sweden. The nurses identified facilitators and barriers to improved patient safety at multiple system levels,\nindicating that complex multifaceted initiatives are required to address patient safety issues. This study encourages\nfurther research to achieve a more explicit understanding of the problems and solutions to patient safety
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