Background of the Study
Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare that aims to prevent harm to patients during the course of treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines patient safety as the prevention of errors and adverse effects associated with healthcare. In surgical settings, the risk of patient harm is heightened due to factors such as anesthesia, surgical procedures, and post-operative care. To address these risks, various safety goals and protocols have been developed to minimize complications and improve outcomes (Ademola et al., 2023). The Joint Commission, an international body that accredits healthcare organizations, has set a number of patient safety goals for hospitals, which include the correct patient identification, prevention of surgical errors, infection prevention, and ensuring safe medication practices.
At Ogun State Teaching Hospital, surgical units handle a wide range of patients undergoing elective and emergency surgeries. Nurses in these units play a pivotal role in maintaining patient safety by adhering to safety goals, ensuring patient identification, implementing infection control protocols, and monitoring vital signs during and after surgery. However, the level of knowledge and adherence to these safety goals among nurses in Ogun State Teaching Hospital remains unclear. This study seeks to evaluate nurses’ understanding of patient safety goals and their adherence to them in surgical units.
Statement of the Problem
Surgical units are high-risk environments where patient safety is paramount. Despite the existence of patient safety protocols, studies suggest that there are gaps in the knowledge and adherence to these safety goals among nurses in many healthcare settings. At Ogun State Teaching Hospital, there may be insufficient awareness of the patient safety goals among nurses, or challenges in consistently applying them in practice. The lack of adherence to safety protocols could increase the likelihood of surgical errors, infections, and other complications. This study aims to investigate the level of nurses' knowledge regarding patient safety goals and assess how effectively they adhere to these protocols in the surgical units of Ogun State Teaching Hospital.
Objectives of the Study
Research Questions
Research Hypotheses
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study will focus on nurses working in the surgical units at Ogun State Teaching Hospital. It will assess their knowledge and adherence to patient safety goals, including protocols for surgical safety, infection prevention, and post-operative care. The study will not assess the involvement of other healthcare professionals, such as surgeons or anesthesiologists, in the application of these safety goals.
Limitations of the study include potential biases in self-reported data and the cross-sectional design, which may not capture long-term adherence trends.
Definitions of Terms
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