Patient Safety Practices and Factors Affecting Medical Error Prevention Among Nursing Personnel in a Level II Government Hospital in the Province of Antique: A Basis for Patient Safety Policy Reform

This study examined patient safety practices and the factors affecting medical error prevention among nursing personnel in a Level II government hospital in Antique Province, aiming to provide evidence for patient safety policy reform. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design was employed among 96 registered nurses selected through total enumeration. Data were gathered using a validated structured instrument and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman correlation at the 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed a very high overall level of patient safety practice (M = 4.49, SD = 1.41), with medication adherence obtaining the highest mean (M = 4.68, SD = 1.02). Organizational factors were strongly associated with patient safety practices (Spearman’s rho = 0.848, p < 0.001). Unfavorable nurse-patient ratios, extended or double shifts, limited resources, and abrupt reassignment were significantly associated with poorer safety performance. Years of clinical experience and patient safety training were also significantly related to safety practices, whereas age, sex, and department assignment were not. The single-site, cross-sectional design and reliance on reported practices limit the generalizability of the findings and prevent causal conclusions. Future multicentre and longitudinal research is recommended. The results support improvements in staffing, fatigue management, resource provision, reassignment procedures, continuous safety training, and non-punitive incident reporting. This study provides context-specific evidence on how modifiable organizational conditions influence nursing safety performance in a resource-limited provincial hospital, offering practical value to hospital administrators, nursing leaders, policymakers, and researchers.