Document Type

Capstone Experience

Graduation Date

7-2023

Degree Name

Master of Public Health

Department

Health Services Research & Administration

First Committee Member

Jungyoon Kim

Second Committee Member

Stephen Peters

Third Committee Member

Dana Verhoeven

Abstract

The healthcare industry typically has a high rate of employee turnover due to higher job stresses and burnout, lower job satisfaction, and insufficient organizational support and work culture. This turnover has worsened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological safety, a shared belief by organizational members that the team/unit is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, can be one of the many ingredients that contribute to employee satisfaction and reduce turnover. This systematic literature review explored the role of psychological safety on job satisfaction and retention of healthcare workers in delivery settings by synthesizing the known antecedents and outcomes of psychological safety, including employee satisfaction and retention. This systematic literature review identified other outcomes of psychological safety as well, including increased quality of care, work engagement, and job performance. Antecedents were also explored and synthesized to better understand the promotion of psychological safety. Some of those antecedents include patient-centered care, teamwork training, decreased cognitive stress, and supervisor support. In all, this paper provides healthcare leaders with the knowledge of the antecedents and outcomes of psychological safety and ways these can be utilized in healthcare settings to improve organizations and the industry overall. This knowledge can be used by healthcare leaders to promote psychological safety within their own organizations and helps them better understand the positive impacts that psychological safety can have on individuals, the organization, and the community.

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