Safety consciousness: assignments that expand focus beyond the bedside

In order to stimulate safety consciousness beyond the bedside, a series of meaningful, practice-based learning activities were devised that compel students in a baccalaureate nursing program to consider safety issues beyond the obvious concerns at the point of care. The assignments emphasize systems level thinking and process evaluation of facility characteristics, team communication, and unit based improvement campaigns. Reflective components engage students in evaluation of their comfort level with being an agent of change, the climate for change on their unit, and their confidence in delegation and communication skills. Through these assignments, students demonstrated integration of concepts from lecture (change theory, systems theory, quality improvement, and process evaluation) and achievement of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies. The reflective components stimulated critical reflection of practice. Examples of student responses are included in this article.