Changes in Patient Safety Knowledge During Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Scoping Review Protocol

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety Research

Background:

• Patient safety is crucial in healthcare, yet knowledge progression in nursing students is poorly understood.
• A gap exists in understanding how undergraduate nursing students acquire and develop patient safety knowledge.
• This review addresses the need to map and analyze existing literature on this topic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map and analyze the existing literature on the development of patient safety knowledge in undergraduate nursing education.
• To identify patterns in knowledge progression, critical learning periods, and effective educational strategies.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of patient safety education in nursing programs.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Comprehensive database search (CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, Web of Science) for studies from 2019-2024.
• Narrative synthesis of data, with quantitative data summarized descriptively and qualitative data thematically analyzed.

Main Results:

• Expected to identify key patterns in patient safety knowledge progression among nursing students.
• Will highlight critical periods for knowledge acquisition and challenges in applying theoretical knowledge to practice.
• Will identify effective educational strategies for enhancing patient safety competencies.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform nursing curriculum development and targeted interventions for patient safety.
• Results may support standardization of patient safety education and emphasize continuous professional development.
• Aims to fill a literature gap, advancing nursing education and fostering a culture of safety.