J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2024 Dec;30(3):207-216. 10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.3.207.

Effects of New Nurses' Critical Thinking Disposition and Safety Climate on Medication Safety Competence

• Cho SY
• Jung DY

• KMID: 2567598
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.3.207

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to identify the effects of new nurses’ critical thinking disposition and safety climate on medication safety competence.
Methods
The subjects of this study were 141 new nurses working in a tertiary general hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from May 23 to June 30, 2024 and were analyzed using SPSS Statistics/WIN 28.0, including descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results
Medication safety competence was significantly related to critical thinking disposition (r=.53, p<.001) and safety climate (r=.46, p<.001). Critical thinking disposition (β=.38, p<.001), safety climate (β=.29, p<.001), and clinical experience (β=.28, p<.001) were factors influencing medication safety competence among new nurses and the explanatory power of the model was explained 37.0%.
Conclusion
Critical thinking disposition, safety climate, and clinical experience affected new nurses’ medication safety competence. Therefore, enhancing critical thinking disposition and fostering a safety-oriented organizational culture can be essential for improving the medication safety competence of new nurses.

Keyword

Clinical Competency; Critical Thinking; Medication Errors; Patient Safety; Nurses