A retrospective descriptive study on the early identification of near-miss events in nursing.

objectiveTo analyze the status of near-miss nursing events reported in this tertiary hospital in 2024 and to explore early identification strategies for these events, with the aim of continuously optimizing patient safety management and providing data support for decision-making.

methodsA retrospective analysis was conducted using data extracted from the hospital information system on near-miss nursing events reported in 2024. The analysis included both nurse-related and patient-related data associated with these risk events. Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0.

resultsA total of 120 near-miss nursing events were reported in 2024. Male patients accounted for 52.50% and female patients for 47.50%. The highest proportion of patients involved were aged over 60 years (51.67%), while those aged 0–2 years accounted for the lowest proportion (4.17%). Inpatients comprised the majority of cases (90.83%). Most events were reported during day shifts (76.67%), and 34.17% occurred during vulnerable time periods. The majority of incidents occurred in inpatient wards (67.50%), with fall/bed-drop risks (25.83%) and unplanned extubation risks (21.67%) being the most common types. The events involved 42 departments, with the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reporting the highest proportion (8.33%). A total of 111 nurses were involved in the reported events, with 98.20% being female. Nurses aged 31–40 years accounted for the largest group (55.86%), and those with a bachelor’s degree made up 88.29% of the sample. In terms of professional title, nurse-in-charge represented the highest proportion (68.47%). Most events were reported by individual nurses (91.89%), while a small number reported two events (8.11%).

conclusionThis study analyzed 120 near-miss nursing events reported in 2024. The results showed that most events occurred in inpatient wards (67.50%), with fall/bed-exit (25.83%) and unplanned extubation (21.67%) being the most common types. Temporally, events were concentrated during day shifts (76.67%) and patient-vulnerable periods (34.17%). Patients aged over 60 accounted for the majority of cases, and the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported the highest number of incidents. Based on these distribution patterns, it is recommended to enhance monitoring of key scenarios, time periods, and patient groups in nursing practice. Future efforts should focus on expanding multi-center data collection, adopting systematic monitoring tools, and conducting qualitative research to further optimize event reporting and safety management strategies.