Association between the nationality of nurses and safety culture in maternity units of Oman

Background Patient safety culture/climate in maternity units has been linked to better safety outcomes. Nurses have a crucial role in patient safety and represent the majority of staff in maternity units. In many countries, nurses are recruited from abroad, bringing their own perceptions of patient safety culture. Nonetheless, little is known about the relationship between perceptions of patient safety culture and nurses' nationality. Understanding this relationship will assist stakeholders in designing a responsive programme to improve patient safety culture. Aims To investigate the association between nurses' nationality and their perceptions about patient safety culture in maternity units in Ministry of Health hospitals in Oman. Methods In 2017, the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) was distributed to all staff (892 distributed, 735 returned) in 10 maternity units. Results About three-quarters (74%, 541/735) of the returned SAQs were completed by nurses, of whom 34% were non-Omani, 21.8% were Omani and 44.7% did not report their nationality (missing). Overall, the mean safety score for non-Omani nurses was significantly higher than for the Omani nurses: 3.9 (SD 1.3) vs 3.6 (SD 1.2) (P < 0.001). The mean safety score for stress recognition was significantly lower for non-Omani nurses: 2.8 (SD 1.5) vs 3.2 (SD 1.3) (P < 0.001). Conclusion Non-Omani nurses have a more positive perception of patient safety culture than Omani nurses except in respect of stress recognition. Decision-makers, directors, and clinicians should consider these differences when designing interventions to improve patient safety culture.