Knowledge toward quality improvement among Jordanian nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Nurses play a vital role in healthcare quality improvement (QI) and patient safety.
• Effective participation in QI initiatives requires specialized knowledge and skills.
• Undergraduate nursing education should equip students with these essential competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate undergraduate nursing students' knowledge of QI.
• To assess nursing students' experiences with patient safety situations.
• To explore the correlation between information acquisition on healthcare quality and QI knowledge among Jordanian nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 147 undergraduate nursing students at two Jordanian universities using self-reported questionnaires.
• The Quality Improvement Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (QulSKA) survey and the Healthcare Professional Patient Safety Assessment Curriculum Survey (HPPSACS) were utilized.

Main Results:

• Overall QI knowledge among students was moderate (mean score 57.7).
• Students from private universities exhibited higher QI knowledge than those from public universities.
• A significant positive correlation was found between QI knowledge and seeking information on QI, healthcare quality, and patient safety from external sources (p≤.001).
• 74.8% of students observed medical errors, but only 57.1% reported them to faculty.

Conclusions:

• A potential deficiency in current QI education within undergraduate nursing programs is indicated.
• There is a need to integrate comprehensive QI concepts into nursing curricula.
• Enhanced QI education is essential for preparing future nurses to effectively contribute to healthcare quality improvement and patient safety.