Patient Safety Management Activities of Korean Nurses: A Meta-Analytic Path Analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to test a hypothetical model of Korean nurses’ patient safety management activities using meta-analytic path analysis. Methods: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-analytic path analysis were conducted following the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. Seventy-four studies for the meta-analysis and 92 for the meta-analytic path analysis were included. The R software program (Version 3.6.3) was used for data analysis. Results: Four variables out of 49 relevant variables were selected in the meta-analysis. These four variables showed large effect sizes (ESr =.54) or median effect sizes (ESr =.33∼.40) with the highest k (number of studies) in the individual, job, and organizational categories. The hypothetical model for the meta-analytic path analysis was established using these variables and patient safety management activities. Twelve hypothetical paths were set and tested. Finally, the perception of the importance of patient safety management and patient safety competency directly affected patient safety management activities. In addition, self-efficacy, the perception of the importance of patient safety management, patient safety competency, and patient safety culture, in-directly affected patient safety management activities. Conclusion: Self-efficacy, the perception of the importance of patient safety management, patient safety competency, and the organization’s patient safety culture should be enhanced to improve nurses’ patient safety management activities.