An evaluation of the patient safety literature shows
that this study is new in several respects. Aiken et al.
(2003) investigated the impact of nursing educational
level on patient safety. However, the present study is
new in addressing the overall evaluation of nursing
capabilities; nursing accreditation level mainly reflects
nursing education but may also be improved by on-thejob
training. Thus, this study provides new means for
improving patient safety via viable nursing factors.
Schubert et al. (2009) examined the correlations between
nursing rationing level and patient outcomes, and
Bae et al. (2010) examined the predictor role of nursing
turnover for patient safety, indicating the value of
capable nurses in ensuring patient safety. The present
study contributes to the literature by introducing nurs-
ing accreditation level as a novel predictor for patient
safety.