Unsafe student clinical performance calls for a systematic approach

Patient safety is the responsibility of both the system and the individual practitioner. Unsafe incidents are a very real possibility when nursing students are preparing for their profession. The curriculum committee of the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS) identified the need for a unified and consistent process related to students who demonstrate unsafe clinical performance. Many clinical teachers experience difficulty in identifying and making decisions related to students' unsafe performance. The authors describe the development of a systematic approach that was adopted by NEPS in June 2005 and is being used across all program years and sites. The approach provides students with a fair and just process and reflects the responsibility of the educational program to prepare graduates who will provide safe, competent care.