Perceived Patient Safety Competence of Baccalaureate Nursing Students: A Descriptive Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction Patient safety is an issue of utmost concern within health care. An interrelated approach between nursing education and practice is needed. For more than a decade, nursing education programs have responded to calls for curricular reform, integrating strategies to prepare graduates for safe nursing practice. Objectives The purpose of the descriptive study was to examine self-perceived safety competencies among baccalaureate (BSN) nursing students at end of program ( n = 72) using the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey. In addition to the objective of describing self-perceived safety competencies of BSN students, another objective was to investigate any significant differences in self-perceived competencies between traditional 4-year and accelerated 12-month program students. Methods A descriptive comparative design was used with a purposive sample of baccalaureate nursing students from both traditional and accelerated second-degree programs at a comprehensive university in the Northeast. Results Students rated self-confidence with patient safety learned in the clinical environment higher than within the classroom setting. Overall, students reported a high level of self-confidence within each of the seven patient safety dimensions with knowledge gained from the clinical setting higher than knowledge gained from the classroom setting. Paired t-test analyses revealed statistically significant differences ( p < .05) between self-confidence gained in classroom and clinical environments with communicating effectively and managing safety risks. Independent t-test analyses revealed accelerated students reported lower self-confidence than traditional students, with statistically significant differences ( p < .05) in dimensions of culture of safety, working in teams, managing safety risks, and disclosing adverse events/close calls. Conclusion In most patient safety dimensions, students felt confident with their competencies within each of the dimensions of patient safety. Results also revealed that accelerated second-degree students report lower confidence with their knowledge of patient safety gained from classroom and clinical settings. Nursing programs must continue to emphasize a culture of safety within the nursing curriculum.

The knowledge about patient safety among undergraduate nurse students in Cyprus and Greece: a comparative study

“…The least agreement in this study in both settings was found in teamwork among all dimensions across countries and among years of study, while effective communication was valued higher in both settings. This weakness in interprofessional teamworkıng knowledge is supported with previous studies in Canada [38,67], Finland [50,51], Korea [61], Saudi Arabia [74], USA [23,75] and Australia [44]. The findings support Cresswell et al, (2013) conclusion that students have been taught about safety in isolation from healthcare students of different disciplines.…”

“…To a degree, nursing education is associated with patient mortality [17][18][19] and the level of nurse-reported adverse events [20,21]. Today a gap of evidence about the extent and type of the role of nursing education in patient safety improvement [12,22], as well as the perceived confidence of undergraduate nursing students in specific patient safety areas still exist [23].…”

Patient safety competence of nursing students and affecting factors

“…The results of the current study are similar to the results of those evaluating students' knowledge and attitude toward patient safety. 15,17 Although various studies report that PSC improves through education, 4,16,24 it should also be noted that the level of knowledge and perception regarding the concept of patient safety should be adequate and satisfactory.…”

Measuring patient safety culture from the perspective of nursing students - a literature review

“…For this reason, future nurses must be sufficiently prepared for practice with respect to the complexity of the healthcare system. Therefore, universities for nursing education should respond positively to the challenges of curriculum reforms and develop effective strategies to prepare graduates for the provision of safe care, which is constantly being improved nowadays (Rebeschi, 2020). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Quality and Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN) initiative have provided curriculum frameworks focusing on competencies related to quality and safety, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, and collaboration and teamwork, as well as technology, informatics, and development (Cronenwett et al, 2007;IOM, 2003).…”