Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Volume 94, June 2026, 104325 “Unsafe and unspoken”- Exploring barriers to patient safety and incident reporting in resource-limited intensive care units: A qualitative study

This qualitative study investigates why medical errors often go unnoticed and unaddressed within resource-constrained intensive care units in Ethiopia. By interviewing various healthcare professionals, the researchers identified a "silence trap" where a punitive culture and the lack of reporting systems prevent staff from documenting mistakes. The findings highlight how fragile governance and the normalization of clinical lapses create a dangerous cycle that hides preventable harm from being corrected. Ultimately, the text argues that improving patient safety requires a shift toward a "just culture" and strategic investment to break the systemic barriers that currently keep unsafe practices hidden