Barriers to nurses reporting errors and adverse events.

Aim: this study aimed to assess nurses' views about major barriers to reporting errors and adverse events in intensive care units.

Method: a descriptive analytical study was used to examine barriers to reporting such events. A questionnaire was completed by 251 nurses across seven hospitals in Iran to elicit information about their views on reporting errors and adverse events.

Results: the study identified three main areas that prevented the reporting of incidents-fear of the consequences after reporting an error, procedural barriers and management barriers.

Conclusion: the most important approach to overcoming barriers that prevent nurses reporting adverse events would be to develop an atmosphere within which all nurses can report errors and the reasons that led to their occurrence honestly and without fear.