Al-Murshedi, Ali Abbas Rahi (2026) Barriers to the Implementation of Safety Standards and Precautions in Nursing Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Nurses in Al-Najaf, Iraq. International Journal of Integrative and Modern Medicine, 4 (5). ISSN 2995-5319

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Abstract

Background: Patient safety depends heavily on the consistent application of safety standards and precautions by nurses, yet adherence remains inconsistent across clinical settings. Evidence from resource-constrained health systems on the specific barriers nurses encounter is limited. Aim: To identify and quantify the barriers that limit the consistent application of safety standards and precautions in nursing care. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 65 nurses working in hospitals in Al-Najaf city, Iraq, up to 30 March 2025. A self-administered online questionnaire was developed from the literature, reviewed by eight clinical and academic experts, and pilot tested on 20 nurses (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). The instrument covered demographic characteristics and barriers across nine domains: organizational, human factors, communication, cultural, environmental, technological, policy and regulatory, socio-economic, and psychological. Data were analyzed descriptively using IBM SPSS Statistics v.30. Results: Participants had a mean age of 27.72 years and mean nursing experience of 3.45 years; 73.8% were male and 73.8% had previously attended safety training. Economic constraints limiting investment in safety measures were the most frequently reported barrier (64.6%), followed by poor communication among health care staff (58.5%), limited access to advanced safety equipment (52.3%), lack of understanding of specific safety protocols (47.7%), language barriers with patients (43.1%), socio-economic disparities in access to resources (43.1%), and lack of training or education on safety protocols (41.5%). Insufficient time due to workload demands was reported by 38.5%, and stress and burnout by 26.2%. No participant reported conflicting ethical priorities as a barrier. Conclusion: Barriers to safety compliance in this setting were predominantly systemic rather than attitudinal, clustering around financing, communication, equipment availability and protocol knowledge. Interventions should prioritize resource allocation, structured communication processes, recurrent protocol training and a non-punitive reporting culture.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Patient safety, nursing care, safety standards, barriers, safety culture, Iraq
Subjects:	H Social Sciences
Depositing User:	admin eprints
Date Deposited:	13 Sep 2026 11:14
Last Modified:	13 Sep 2026 11:14
URI:	http://eprints.umsida.ac.id/id/eprint/17093

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