Personnel safety impression
You can download and print the document here (pdf).
PowerPoint presentation for introducing the tool to its users.
An organisation’s client and patient safety and safety culture are reflected in the perception of the organisation’s personnel regarding the organisation’s level of safety. The personnel safety impression
The Net Safety Score (NSS) can be used to quickly gauge the personnel safety impression. The Net Safety Score is comparable to the Net Promote Score (NPS) index.
Calculating the Net Safety Score
The survey statement is: “I would feel safe if I were a client or patient at my unit” on a scale of 1–5.
The distribution of responses is used to calculate the Net Safety Score by deducting the percentage share of responses 4–5 (fully or somewhat agreed) from the share of responses 1–2 (fully or somewhat disagreed). The neutral responses (3 = don’t agree or disagree) are excluded from the calculation.
The Net Safety Score is a value between -100 and +100.
Interpreting the results
The initial level of an organisation’s Net Safety Score is determined in the first measurement. The result is likely positive. A negative result is possible, indicating significant safety issues.
The result can be compared either
- at each service unit (relative to the entire organisation’s target or previous measurement, or other service units)
- at the level of the entire organisation (relative to the entire organisation’s target or previous measurement)
Performing the measurement
The organisation can integrate the Personnel safety impression indicator in a general personnel survey or perform the measurement separately. There is no separate application for the indicator.
Example of Net Safety Score use
The target levels in this example are only examples. The organisation using the indicator can define a suitable monitoring frequency and target levels.
Monitoring
Frequency: X times per year
Level: The whole organisation, service line, service unit or other organisational level.
Targets
Short term: The personnel safety impression score is at least 55% in year 2.
Long term: The personnel safety impression score is at least 60% in year ___.
Results
Comparisons between the results and targets can be visualised with traffic light colours or plus/minus comparisons.
+ or ++ (green) The Net Safety Score is at least 55% in year 2.
-+ or – (yellow) The Net Safety Score is under 55% and improving compared to year 1.
– or — (red) The Net Safety Score is under 55% and deteriorating compared to year 1.
When announcing results, it is best to also include the survey response rate relative to the amount of personnel in the service unit/organisation, allowing readers to better assess the reliability of the results.
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This document has been created as part of strategic priority 3.3 of the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety’s strategy implementation plan. It has also been submitted for comments with the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety’s Client and Patient Safety Network, and approved by the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety’s specialist network on 5 May 2023.
For more information, contact Petri Pommelin (firstname.lastname@pirha.fi) or the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety (noharm(a)ovph.fi). Published on 26 May 2023. Published by the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety. www.finnishcentreforclientandpatientsafety.fi/
Reviewed for up-to-dateness on 21 August 2025. No changes made.