Abstract
The safety culture in hospitals in China was investigated using a self-designed questionnaire. A convenience sample of 217 registered nurses responded positively in the areas of the safety of shift change processes, hospital and nursing leadership attention to patient safety, and staff cooperation, among others. However, a punitive safety culture was identified, and registered nurses reported a lack of safety committees, fear of reporting errors, punishment of the person making an error, and underreporting of nursing errors.