Purpose: This study aimed to examine the levels of medication safety competency, patient safety culture perception, nursing work environment, and medication safety management activities among clinical nurses caring for elderly patients, to identify th...
Purpose: This study aimed to examine the levels of medication safety competency, patient safety culture perception, nursing work environment, and medication safety management activities among clinical nurses caring for elderly patients, to identify the relationships among these variables, and to determine the factors influencing medication safety management activities.
Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 110 nurses working at one general hospital located in B metropolitan city, who understood the study purpose and provided informed consent. Data were collected from June 17 to June 27, 2025, using a structured self-administered questionnaire measuring medication safety competency, patient safety culture perception, nursing work environment, and medication safety management activities. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 Statistical analyses included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test or one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the enter method.
Results: The findings were as follows:
1. Among the general characteristics of the participants, the mean age was 29.59±5.06 years, with 52 participants (47.3%) aged 26~30 years. Regarding education level, 98 participants (89.1%) held a bachelor’s degree or below. In terms of job position, 51 participants (46.4%) were staff nurses. The mean total clinical experience was 6.63±5.46 years, with 55 participants (50.0%) having less than 5 years of experience. The most common work unit was the intensive care unit (ICU), with 39 participants (35.5%). The average number of medication error experiences was 2.97±3.16, with 50 participants (45.5%) reporting 1~2 occurrences. The average number of medication error reporting experiences was 2.48±2.62, with 55 participants (50.0%) reporting 1~2 cases.
2. The participants’ medication safety competency averaged 148.83± 14.29 out of a total possible score of 180. Patient safety culture perception averaged 146.76±17.18 out of 210, while the nursing work environment averaged 88.07±15.78 out of 116. Medication safety management activities averaged 127.28±11.34 out of a total score of 140.
3. Analysis of differences in medication safety management activities according to the participants’ general characteristics revealed significant differences by age (F=3.22, p=.047) and job position (F=3.20, p=.045).
4. Medication safety management activities were significantly positively correlated with medication safety competency (r=.60, p<.001), patient safety culture perception (r=.51, p<.001), and the nursing work environment (r=.27, p<.001). Furthermore, medication safety competency was significantly positively correlated with patient safety culture perception (r=.48, p<.001), and the nursing work environment (r=.42, p<.001). Finally, patient safety culture perception was positively correlated with the nursing work environment (r=.70, p<.001).
5. The results indicated that medication safety competency (β=.50, p<.001), and patient safety culture perception (β=.46, p<.001), and nursing work environment (β=-.26, p=.014) significantly influenced medication safety management activities, with these variables explaining 42% of the variance in medication safety management activities (F=12.48, p<.001).
Conclusion: This study found that medication safety management activities improved as medication safety competency and patient safety culture perception increased among clinical nurses caring for elderly patients. Based on the findings, healthcare institutions should develop systematic strategies to strengthen medication safety competency, such as practice-based simulation education and case-based training that reflect the medication characteristics of elderly patients. In addition, they should establish a positive patient safety culture by implementing effective reporting systems, promoting a culture of safety, and fostering a non-punitive error-reporting environment. Furthermore, the nursing work environment was found to have a negative effect on medication safety management activities, which may be attributable to limitations of the measurement tool in adequately reflecting the characteristics of elderly patient care. Thus, future studies should develop nursing work environment measurement tools that incorporate elderly care characteristics and conduct repeated studies to clarify the relationship between the nursing work environment and medication safety management activities.