Predicting nurses’ safety compliance behaviour in a developing economy, using the theory of planned behaviour: A configurational approach

Abstract

Aim

The study's main objective was to use a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to identify the configuration of recipes that predict nurses' safety compliance behaviour.

Design

A cross-sectional design.

Methods

A survey was used where questionnaires were collected from 285 nurses across four primary healthcare hospitals within the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The data collection happened between June 1 to August 2, 2022. A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was used to identify the recipes of psychological factors that determine nurses' safety compliance behaviour.

Results

Results from the study suggest that the necessary configurations that explained nurses' safety compliance behaviour came from the presence of subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived organizational support and negation of intention. The result highlights the need for safety protocols to be conscious of the interplay between nurses' assessment of self, social clues and perception of management care and support since such psychological factors must be considered concurrently to achieve the optimal safety compliance behaviour among nurses.

Conclusion

A health and safety protocol that fails to recognize the importance of psychological antecedents on subordinates' safety compliance behaviour could limit the safety policy's usefulness in bringing the appropriate behavioural change in nurses.

Impact

To date, no study has combined the antecedents of theory planned behaviour with perceived organizational support and cue to action to assess how they collectively predict nurses' safety compliance behaviour. Findings from the study suggest that nurses in primary health facilities inform their safety compliance behaviour by assessing self-capabilities, social signals from superiors and colleagues and perception of management support. Hospital administrators and nursing managers in sub-Saharan Africa may rely on these psychological forces to persuade nurses to develop positive safety compliance behaviour at the health facility.

Patient or Public Contribution

No Patient or Public Contribution.