Storytelling for Fostering a Culture of Safety in Healthcare: A quasi-experimental study

Background Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare, emphasizing the prevention of errors and adverse events that may harm patients during medical care delivery. Objective This study aimed to investigate the impact of storytelling training on patient safety culture among nurses at Firuzgar Hospital, affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences, with the objective of minimizing errors in patient care. Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 64 nurses (32 nurses in the control group and 32 in the intervention group) in 2023 (The total number of nurses employed at Firouzgar Hospital was 515). The stories focus on patient safety, implemented in the intervention group during six storytelling sessions of 1.5 hours. The control group only received routine patient safety education. The safety culture of the control and intervention groups was measured by using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire (version 1) before the intervention, immediately after the intervention was completed, and one month after the last session of the intervention, respectively using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire. Data were analyzed and compared using SPSS version 16. Results The patient safety culture in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001). The effect size of the intervention on patient safety culture was 0.159, indicating a substantial impact, as this value exceeds the threshold of 0.08. The greatest impact was noted in the training and skills dimension (effect size = 0.185), while the lowest impact was observed in the staff dimension (effect size = 0.049). Conclusions This study highlights the impact of storytelling on safety culture, demonstrating that hospitals can implement strategies to leverage narratives for enhancing patient safety culture among staff. By sharing real-life experiences, hospitals can foster a culture that prioritizes patient safety and quality of care.