Perspectives on Patient Safety Among Practical Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Competencies

Background:

• Practical nursing students require robust patient safety knowledge.
• Assessing student perceptions of safety competencies identifies curriculum gaps.
• Improving nursing education enhances the quality of patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate practical nursing students' confidence in patient safety education.
• To identify areas of strength and weakness in nursing students' safety knowledge.
• To inform curriculum development for improved patient safety training.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional descriptive study design.
• Utilized a modified Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey.
• Assessed student self-reported confidence and experiences.

Main Results:

• Students reported high confidence in clinical safety skills.
• Over 75% feared punishment for errors; 88% hesitated to question healthcare providers.
• Less than 30% reported education on system-level error analysis.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed to understand student apprehension regarding safe care provision.
• Nursing curricula should emphasize systems-thinking for hazard identification and error prevention.
• Educational strategies must address practical nursing students' fears and improve safety competency.