As an undergraduate student, I continuously strove to improve my nursing knowledge, skills, and clinical practice. In clinical settings, I observed numerous practitioners and registered nurses (RNs) who appeared to perform their jobs in efficient ways, and I often wondered whether one day I might be part of that group of skilled healthcare providers (HCPs). As a student, I had not observed practitioners who were involved in errors and did not have the opportunity to discuss errors with colleagues in the clinical setting. In the academic setting, the topic of errors seemed quite abstract and I believed an error would be something that nursing students would be involved in, but certainly not the skilled practitioners I observed in the clinical setting.Following personal reflection on the topic of professional perfectionism, I proceeded to examine Brian Goldman's TED speech regarding the impediment that perfectionism may provide to open discussion of errors in the healthcare system (TED Conferences 2011). As stated by Brian Goldman, HCPs may believe that if only we would memorize everything and possess enough knowledge, we would be immune to making errors (TED Conferences 2011). When an error occurs, we might feel isolated and find ourselves examining not only that particular situation but also our competence as practitioners. I am interested in examining whether the lack of discussion of errors by HCPs with nursing students contributes to the perfectionist ideal that learners may develop and continue to strive for in their clinical practice as RNs.

Medication errors threaten the physical and emotional well-being of the Canadian population (Mayo & Duncan, 2004). There is a paucity of published studies examining medication errors in the nursing student population. The purpose of this pilot study was determining the feasibility of conducting a larger scale study examining the relationship between nursing students’ perceived sense of belongingness and their willingness to self-report medication errors in the clinical practice setting. Thirty fourth year nursing students completed the study instruments. The study’s conceptual framework guided the development of objectives and interpretation of results. Overall, there was a high response rate, the study protocol was appropriate, and study instruments were valid and reliable. Results indicated a negative nonsignificant inverse relationship between the two main variables. Implications related to nursing practice, education, theory, and results are offered, with a specific focus on the need to replicate the study using a larger sample.

Medication errors threaten the physical and emotional well-being of the Canadian population (Mayo & Duncan, 2004). There is a paucity of published studies examining medication errors in the nursing student population. The purpose of this pilot study was determining the feasibility of conducting a larger scale study examining the relationship between nursing students’ perceived sense of belongingness and their willingness to self-report medication errors in the clinical practice setting. Thirty fourth year nursing students completed the study instruments. The study’s conceptual framework guided the development of objectives and interpretation of results. Overall, there was a high response rate, the study protocol was appropriate, and study instruments were valid and reliable. Results indicated a negative nonsignificant inverse relationship between the two main variables. Implications related to nursing practice, education, theory, and results are offered, with a specific focus on the need to replicate the study using a larger sample.