Qualitative research on clinical risk perception in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Igiene e Sanità Pubblica 2024; 92 (5): 112-122

Prendin Angela¹, Fazio Paola Claudia², Tabacco Benedicta³, Strini Veronica⁴, Cerrone Valentina⁵, Andretta Vincenzo⁶, Capunzo Mario^7,8, Specchia Maria Lucia^9,10

Affiliation
¹MSc, BSc, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; University-Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy,
²BSc, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; University-Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy
³BSc, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Hospital of Treviso, Treviso, Italy
⁴MSc, PBSc, Clinical Research Unit; University-Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy
⁵MSN, Oncology Unit; University-Hospital of Salerno, Salerno, Italy,
⁶PhD, Management Planning and Control Unit; University-Hospital of Salerno, Salerno, Italy,
⁷PhD, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Italy
⁸San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D’Aragona, Hospital hygiene and epidemiology of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
⁹PhD, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health – Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore,
Rome, Italy,
¹⁰Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy

Keywords: Patient safety, Safety I, Safety II, PICU, Nurse

ABSTRACT
Background: the Pediatric Intensive Care field is characterized by the criticality of
newborns and children who access it, as well as by a high complexity of care. This entails the need of an optimal integration between the various professional figures working in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) and their ability to work in team. Purpose: to describe how nurses perceive clinical risk and relate to it; to identify adverse events and related risk factors. Methods: the focus group was used to identify and analyze the risks, or possible risks, that may occur in the intensive pediatric field. Nine nurses with different work experience in PICU, two moderators and one external observer participated in the focus group. Results: through qualitative analysis, 9 themes describing the clinical risk perception by nurses working in PICUs were identified: teamwork, specific training, time management, team communication, clinical management, individual errors, facility criticalities, patient factors/characteristics, standardization.
Conclusions: the culture of safety can be promoted by management through learning spirit and free speech without fearing negative effects.