explaining the emergency nurses' experiences of near-miss events: a qualitative study

Introduction: near-miss events play a crucial role in identifying opportunities for enhancing the quality and safety of healthcare systems. the hospital emergency department, due to the presence of numerous variables and a high volume of patients, is particularly susceptible to nursing errors and associated adverse outcomes resulting from negligence. the present study aimed to investigate the experiences of emergency nurses regarding near-miss events.methods: a qualitative conventional content analysis approach was employed. using purposive sampling, 15 nurses were recruited from a trauma center affiliated with birjand university of medical sciences, iran, between june 2021 and november 2022. data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded with participants’ informed consent. the interviews were transcribed verbatim into word documents and subsequently imported into maxqda (version 2020) for systematic organization and analysis.results: the study included 15 nurses (53% female, 47% male), with the majority holding a bachelor’s degree (87%) and an average of 12.23±5.52 years of work experience. analysis of the data produced 347 open codes, which were organized into six subcategories and synthesized into three main categories: (1) an unprofessional atmosphere of the workplace, (2) an insufficient culture of learning from near-miss events, and (3) effects of staff personal life on work-life.conclusion: the findings highlight the critical need to foster professionalism in nursing, implement robust feedback systems, perform root cause analyses, and develop a structured approach to learning from near-miss events. these strategies can significantly improve the prevention and management of such events.