Healthcare-related injuries are a global issue that can have serious consequences for patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare systems as a whole. This issue can be addressed by promoting...Show moreHealthcare-related injuries are a global issue that can have serious consequences for patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare systems as a whole. This issue can be addressed by promoting a learning culture in healthcare organizations. Psychological safety (PS), the extent to which individuals feel safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of negative consequences, in teams is essential to achieve this open communication and collaboration. However, the relationship between personality traits and PS in healthcare remains under-researched. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the Big Five personality traits and perceived PS in multidisciplinary healthcare teams. A survey was conducted among healthcare professionals working in surgical wards of three Dutch hospitals. The Edmondson Scale for Psychological Safety and the TIPI-d questionnaire measured PS and the Big Five personality traits, respectively. Responses were anonymized, and the final research sample consisted of 41 participants (Team A N=17, Team B N=14, Team C N=10). Spearman correlations were calculated to measure the correlation between PS and the five traits. No significant correlations were found between the traits Extraversion, Openness and Conscientiousness, and PS. Agreeableness was positively significantly correlated with PS, while Neuroticism was negatively significantly correlated with PS. These correlations were not significant in each team, and the internal consistency of the TIPI-d was poor. Therefore, the findings must be interpreted with caution. By responding to a person's unique way of perceiving PS, healthcare teams can encourage interpersonal risk-taking and learn from each other, ultimately resulting in fewer healthcare-related injuries.Show less
