Practice gaps and challenges to effective patient safety culture in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background: Knowledge and experiences of inefficiencies, odds and difficulties in patient safety culture (PSC) maintenance in health-care systems can facilitate the development and implementation of better strategies. Objective: The aim is to determine the practice gaps and challenges to effective PSC in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, (NAUTH) Nnewi, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted from June to November 2016 in NAUTH Nnewi, Nigeria. Data were collected through mixed methods:-self-administered structured questionnaire survey (QS), focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII). Stratified sampling technique was used for the QS, while the convenience sampling technique. was employed in the FGD and KII. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. Results: Challenges to the effective promotion of PSC each relate to gaps in either poor staff strength or punitive response to the error report. The challenges reported from the FGD are lack of training and re-training programmes (61%), poor team spirit and low staff capacity (56%). From the KII >80% reported non-availability of PSC unit, patient safety committee, patient safety guideline/policy, nor standard operation procedure while (61%) reported that management effort to provide enabling patient safety environment was adequate. Conclusions: This study found challenges to effective PSCsuch as poor training, staff strength, team spirit cum communication, excessive work hours and fear of punitive response to the error report. This buttresses the need for urgent attention to these areas of weakness through awareness and educational programmes on PSC, adequate staffing and prompt information dissemination.