Almost 50% of healthcare workers across the country report weak perceptions of safety culture within their organizations, with views differing heavily depending on employees’ work schedules, as per a fresh report from Press Ganey.
The findings are drawn from the group’s wider research examining workplace violence and avoidable patient harm. They underscore the challenges created by what the report describes as three hospitals under one roof, reflecting the differing experiences of staff depending on their shift.
According to Press Ganey’s State of Healthcare Safety 2026 analysis, employees working daytime shifts consistently rate their workplace safety culture more positively than other staff groups. Workers scheduled on weekends report experiences largely comparable to daytime staff when evaluating resources and teamwork, though their ratings are somewhat lower on measures related to incident reporting, prevention practices, and institutional pride and prestige.
Employees on night shifts, however, consistently express weaker perceptions of safety culture across all measured categories when compared with their daytime counterparts, including overall safety. The report notes that night-shift workers are 17% less likely to feel their organization prioritizes their safety and 11% less likely to believe leadership collaborates effectively to maintain safe conditions.
Press Ganey wrote that the results indicate employees working outside regular hours may feel they receive less support, experience weaker connections with colleagues and have reduced confidence in the organization’s reliability. The firm added that these conditions can heighten burnout and subtly influence the way care is provided.
Although differences between shifts remain, the recognition of safety culture has generally improved in recent years and, for certain measures, has reverted to or even surpassed levels seen before the pandemic, according to the report from Press Ganey. The organization also pointed to a link between strong employee engagement and positive views of workplace safety culture, noting that disengaged workers are 2.6 times more likely to leave their jobs than colleagues who report high engagement.
The analysis further found that facilities where safety events are reported more frequently tend to perform better in areas such as collaboration between employees and managers and staff perceptions of care quality. Press Ganey described this dynamic as a ‘virtuous cycle,’ in which robust learning systems (such as root-cause analysis and corrective action planning) work alongside active reporting cultures to strengthen one another.
Tejal Gandhi, chief safety and transformation officer at Press Ganey, said in a release that delivering safe care depends on building strong organizational cultures. She said reliability improves and variation declines when leadership clearly treats safety as a central priority and when teamwork, learning and continuous improvement are consistently reinforced throughout the organization.
The safety culture examination from Press Ganey draws on 2025 information gathered from roughly 1.3 million healthcare employees across 225 health systems and over 3,800 care facilities, as well as feedback from about 24 million patients.
Patient responses likewise indicate gradual improvement in perceptions of safety in recent years across care settings, with inpatient facilities showing the most notable recent gains.
Safety Concerns in Healthcare Settings
According to the report, healthcare workers on night shifts often face increased risks due to reduced staffing levels, limited security presence, and higher exposure to unpredictable situations. These factors make healthcare environments more challenging during overnight hours, impacting the overall sense of safety among healthcare professionals.
Impact on Healthcare Workforce
The lack of safety in healthcare workplaces can lead to increased stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Many healthcare employees working night shifts report feeling vulnerable, which can affect both their performance and mental well-being. Ensuring safety in healthcare settings is essential for maintaining a strong and resilient workforce.
Safety in healthcare is not only important for employees but also for patient care. When healthcare workers feel secure, they can focus better on delivering quality care. Improving healthcare safety measures can enhance both staff satisfaction and patient outcomes.
