Knowledge and competence with patient safety as perceived by nursing students: The findings of a cross-sectional study

Background: Ensuring safety in health-care settings is provoking improvements both in education and clinical practice. However, the studies available have not offered to date information regarding knowledge and competence on patient safety (PS) developed by nursing students over their academic career. There is no documentation of the amount of close calls and/or adverse events that students may have witnessed and the degree of safety perceived in the attended clinical settings. Objectives: To describe the perception of nursing students regarding their own knowledge and competence on PS and describe differences, if any, among students attending the first, second and third academic year. Design: A cross-sectional study design was undertaken in 2013. Participants and Setting: A convenience sample of 621 nursing students of two bachelors nursing degrees located in two Italian universities, was the population target of the study. Students attending the first, second and third academic year, obtaining admission to the annual clinical competence examination, were eligible. Methods: The Italian version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSSIta) and open-ended questions was administered to the students after having obtained their informed written consent. Results: A total of 573 students (response rate 92.4%) participated. Around a quarter (28.8%) of students reported having experienced an adverse event or close call during their clinical experience. The settings where they learn were perceived as unsafe by 46.9% of students. PS knowledge and competence as perceived by students, was high (Median=4) in all factors and dimensions of the H-PEPSSIta tool. High PS knowledge and competence was reported by first-year students, moderate by second-year students and higher at the end of the third-year. Conclusions: Faculties and health-care institutions offering clinical placements have to share the responsibility of well-prepared future nurses, working together to improve PS through dialogue when issues are identified by students.