Factors contributing to voluntariness of incident reporting among hospital nurses

Purpose: This study aimed to (a) test the hypothesized model for hospital nurses’ voluntariness of incident reporting (VIR) and (b) determine the extent to which reporting culture factors, nursing safety practices and perceptions of work predict VIR. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was applied to 1,380 frontline nurses recruited from six teaching hospitals in Taiwan. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Correlation analyses and path analyses using structured equation modelling were used. Findings: More than half of the nurses did not display a voluntary attitude towards reporting. VIR was correlated with factors of reporting culture, nursing safety practices and perceptions of work. Through path analyses, the safety practices mediated on the relationship between the reporting culture and VIR. Conclusions: Nurses still have modest willingness of reporting. The factors of reporting culture and nursing safety practices are critical determinants of VIR. Within more behavioural involvement in the safety practices, the reporting culture can support nurses to report voluntarily. Implications for Nursing Management: Strengthening nurses’ engagement in safety practices can advance the reporting voluntariness and agreement with reporting culture concurrently. Nurse leaders should continue to optimize workload management and job satisfaction, which is advantageous to the safety practices enacted.