The Effect of Professional Autonomy and Nursing Work Environment on Nurses’ Patient Safety Activities: A Perspective on Magnet Hospitals

Aim. This study aimed to identify the effects of nurses’ professional autonomy and work environment on patient safety in general hospitals. By understanding this relationship, we sought to identify practical measures to improve patient safety in the healthcare context. Background. Professional autonomy and nursing work environments have positive effects on job performance, job satisfaction, and patient outcomes. Methods. Data were collected from 200 nurses working in general hospitals, using a cross-sectional survey design. The survey was conducted in 2021 using self-report questionnaires that included the Nursing Work Environment Scale and items on professional autonomy and patient safety activities. Results. The total professional autonomy score was 162.06 (range: 60–240). The mean scores of nursing work environment and nurses’ patient safety activities were 2.55 out of 4 and 4.22 out of 5, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that professional autonomy (β = 0.234 and $p=0.001$ ) and nursing work environment (β = 0.138 and $p<0.05$ ) were identified as variables that had significant effects on patient safety activities. Among the independent variables, professional autonomy had the greatest influence on patient safety. Conclusion. The findings confirm the need to improve and find ways to enhance nurses’ professional autonomy and nursing work environment. Implications for Nursing Management. The findings confirm the need to improve and find ways to enhance nurses’ professional autonomy and the nursing work environment. Based on these findings, medical institutions and nursing managers should continue to make efforts to improve the nursing work environment to enhance patient safety, especially system improvements, expand nurse autonomy within medical institutions, strengthen hospital management support to evaluate its effectiveness, and further improve government-level policies and systems.