Mohammadjavad Kabir - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Lcturer of Community medicine,
Alireza Heidari - Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Nahid Jafari - Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan
Sodabeh Vatankhah - School of Health Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Korosh Etemad - Epidemiology, Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical
Mohsen Aarabi - Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Iran.
Ali Aghapour - Treatment Affairs, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
Mansoreh Lotfi - Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.

Background and purpose: The basic responsibility of nurses is to maintain patient safety including notifying patients and colleagues about risk and risk reduction methods, supporting the patient safety and reporting events to a responsible person. Without creating a safety culture in all health facilities a sustainable development in the patient care do not occur. This study aims to determine the patient safety culture in teaching hospitals in Gorgan. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a target group includes nurses at ۵ Azar, Taleghani and Deziani Hospitals in Gorgan in ۲۰۱۱. The study population included ۳۴۸ nurses in these hospitals. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire with ۴۳ questions. Statistical tests were ANOVA and T-Test. Results: Twenty four percent of nurses believed patient safety culture is weak, ۴۶.۸% of them, moderate and ۳۰.۷% good. The weakest dimension was non-punitive response to error and strongest dimension was organizational education. Statistic test showed significant relationship between patient safety culture and experience (p= ۰.۰۲۱), employment status (p= ۰.۰۰۱), hospital (p= ۰.۰۰۱), ward (p= ۰.۰۰۳). Conclusion: The status of the patient safety culture was related moderate from the nurses' view point but it is necessary it improved in dimensions of the non-punitive response and the staff workload to note that it is highly recommended to take some actions in this regard.

Medical Error, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Culture, Nurse