title: Differences in Hospital Managers', Unit Managers', and Health Care Workers' Perceptions of the Safety Climate for Respiratory Protection.
abstract: This article compares hospital managers' (HM), unit managers' (UM), and health care workers' (HCW) perceptions of respiratory protection safety climate in acute care hospitals. The article is based on survey responses from 215 HMs, 245 UMs, and 1,105 HCWs employed by 98 acute care hospitals in six states. Ten survey questions assessed five of the key dimensions of safety climate commonly identified in the literature: managerial commitment to safety, management feedback on safety procedures, coworkers' safety norms, worker involvement, and worker safety training. Clinically and statistically significant differences were found across the three respondent types. HCWs had less positive perceptions of management commitment, worker involvement, and safety training aspects of safety climate than HMs and UMs. UMs had more positive perceptions of management's supervision of HCWs' respiratory protection practices. Implications for practice improvements indicate the need for frontline HCWs' inclusion in efforts to reduce safety climate barriers and better support effective respiratory protection programs and daily health protection practices.
authors.affiliation: RTI International.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Bonnie M E
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brosseau
authors.affiliation: RTI International.
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: RTI International.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooney
authors.affiliation: California Department of Public Health.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ian5@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Novak
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: occupational health and safety programs; organizational culture/climate; program planning and evaluation; research