Safety Walk Around as a proactive tool for improving the quality of care: an exploratory survey among healthcare professionals.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to explore the knowledge, perception and interest of healthcare professionals at the ‘Mazzoni’ Hospital in Ascoli Piceno on Clinical Risk Management tools and, in particular, on the Safety Walk Around (SWA) technique.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was conducted between January and April 2025 at the “Mazzoni” Hospital of the AST in Ascoli Piceno, by recruiting doctors, nurses and nursing coordinators. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on a tool previously used in an Italian study, adapted to the local context, consisting of a personal details section and 15 items based on a Likert scale. The sample, selected according to convenience criteria, included only staff on duty.
RESULTS
A total of 320 questionnaires out of 373 distributed were analysed, with a response rate (RR) of 86%, mainly consisting of female nurses. The data showed that 29% of the participants knew the Safety Walk Around technique. The inferential analysis, performed using the Chi-square test, revealed statistically significant associations with a p-value <0.05 between professional qualification and participation in training courses on Clinical Risk and between professional qualification and prior knowledge of the Safety Walk Around.
DISCUSSION
The limited level of knowledge of Safety Walk Around among professionals at the “Mazzoni” Hospital of the AST in Ascoli Piceno seems to be attributable to inconsistencies in training courses and to the still partial dissemination of this methodology in clinical practice, thus suggesting the need for a greater training exposure, mainly for nursing staff and, to a lesser extent, for Nursing Coordinators. The critical issues identified were mainly of organisational and cultural nature, like lack of time, communication difficulties and resistance to change, which can affect the systematic implementation of the methodology. The main critical issues perceived with regard to the adoption of the SWA were: lack of time, cultural resistance to change and difficulties in interprofessional communication.
CONCLUSIONS
The survey highlighted a lack of knowledge on the Safety Walk Arounds technique among healthcare professionals and, at the same time, a propensity for training in proactive approaches to clinical risk management. The critical issues that emerged suggest the need to promote structured awareness-raising and training initiatives, as well as to consolidate clinical leadership, in order to support the systematic implementation of this methodology and foster a mature and shared safety culture.
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