Iranian Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing

Introduction: Improving the quality of nursing care is one of the important priorities of care in all hospitals. Patient safety is one of the most important factors in determining quality care. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between patient safety competence and the quality of nursing care in hospitals affiliated with Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: The present study was a descriptive-correlational study, and its statistical population included all nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in the second half of 2024. Through the quota sampling method and based on the inclusion criteria, 265 nurses were selected and examined using a questionnaire. To collect data, a form of demographic characteristics of nurses, the patient safety competence questionnaire of Lee et al., and the quality of nursing care questionnaire of Wandelt et al. (1972) were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS21 statistical software and appropriate statistical tests.
Results: Most nurses (60.8%) were female, (82.7%) married, (84.5%) had a bachelor's degree, (77.0%) had rotating shifts, and (76.2%) were formally employed. The mean patient safety competence score was 146.24 ± 17.05, and the quality of nursing care score was 188.56 ± 15.08, which was at a moderate level. There was a direct and significant relationship between patient safety competence and quality of nursing care (r=0.622, P<0.001).
Conclusions: The results showed that as patient safety competence and its dimensions increase, the quality of nursing care and all its dimensions improve. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically measure these variables in nurses and implement interventions based on improving patient safety competence.