Factors influencing nursing students' perception of patient safety

Abstract

Introduction: Patient safety is one of the main priorities of healthcare facilities worldwide. The perspective of nursing students on patient safety is essential for planning strategies to improve patient safety and its culture. Nursing students' perception of patient safety may differ between teaching and learning practices in nursing faculties, but also depends on the clinical experience gained during clinical placement.Objective: To collate existing empirical research studies on factors influencing the perception of patient safety from the perspective of nursing students. Methods: The search was performed in scientific databases PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest in February 2023 and was limited to one language (English). The search produced 1,703 studies. The content analysis method was used in data synthesis. Results: 36 studies were considered relevant for the review. 23 factors that affect the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nursing students towards patient safety were determined. Four main factor groups were described as follows: Factors related to demographic data; Factors related to clinical environment; Factors related to academic environment; Contextual factors. Conclusion: Nursing students' perception of patient safety was influenced by the educational and clinical environment. In relation to education, there is a need to integrate the patient safety subject at the beginning of nursing studies and to strengthen existing knowledge about adverse events.