Development of a patient safety management protocol for nurses in long-term care hospitals

This study aimed to develop a patient safety management protocol for nurses in long-term care hospitals. A methodological approach was employed to design the protocol. The preliminary protocol was drafted based on a comprehensive literature review and expert evaluations, with content validity verified through these reviews. Eighteen nurse experts assessed the initial protocol for content validity, and the final version was refined following feedback from 40 nurses working in long-term care hospitals. The finalized protocol comprises 11 categories and 65 patient safety management items, organized across three stages: admission (one category, 16 items), hospitalization (nine categories, 39 items), and discharge (one category, 10 items). The patient safety management protocol is expected to enhance the quality of foundational data utilized by nurses, clarify their patient safety responsibilities, and promote standardized, systematic safety practices in long-term care hospitals. It holds promise for widespread adoption in long-term care settings.