Attitudes toward safety and teamwork in a maternity unit with embedded team training

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify any residual challenges in a unit with a track record of good clinical performance. A cross-sectional survey of frontline caregiver attitudes was conducted using a validated psychometric instrument. A total of 69% (91 of 132) of eligible participants completed questionnaires. The results indicated positive safety culture, teamwork climate, and job satisfaction. Perceptions of high workload and insufficient staffing levels were the most prominent negative observations but not to the detriment of job satisfaction or perception of work conditions. Male staff had consistently better safety attitudes in multivariate analyses. The authors identified 24-hour consultant (attending) presence and better support by management as prerequisites for further improvement. Teamwork and safety attitudes are positive in a unit with established interprofessional team training. Establishing better support by senior clinical and management leaders was identified as a necessary intervention to improve attitudes and safety.