Patient safety competencies of nursing students

Patient safety is an essential principle of healthcare and an indispensable element of contemporary nursing care.

This study aims to evaluate the patient safety competencies in nursing students.

This descriptive study was conducted with the participation of 191 nursing students, who received undergraduate education at the department of nursing of a private university in Northern Cyprus during the spring semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. A Descriptive information form and patient safety competency self-evaluation tool (PSCSE) were used for data collection.

Knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing students on patient safety were satisfactory. Participants obtained the lowest score from the knowledge dimension of the PSCSE. Besides, PSCSE scores increased as age and year level increased. Finally, PSCSE scores of participants, who believed that their knowledge on patient safety was insufficient, were lower.

Further studies may analyze the content of patient safety courses in nurse education. Besides, interdisciplinary learning environments may be developed and encouraged to improve patient safety.