Journal of Advanced Nursing

Nursing Students' Experiences and Perceived Learning Effectiveness of Patient Safety and Its Influencing Factors: An Integrative Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To examine and synthesise the current literature to gain insights into nursing students' experiences, their perceived learning effectiveness of patient safety and its influencing factors.

Design

Integrative review.

Data Sources

CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, and Embase databases from January 2011 to October 2023.

Methods

Of the 5940 papers initially retrieved, 33 were included after title, abstract, and full-text screening. No papers were omitted through quality appraisal.

Results

Despite nursing students' generally positive attitude towards patient safety, their idealistic view did not translate into actual actions of upholding patient safety due to various factors. Moreover, their experiences and perceived effectiveness of learning patient safety were influenced by factors such as organisational safety culture and pedagogical contexts. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: ‘perception, attitudes, and evaluation towards patient safety’; ‘supportive organizational culture as impetus to promote patient safety’; ‘perceived confidence, knowledge, and competence toward patient safety’; and ‘educational contexts and pedagogies to promote learning of patient safety’.

Conclusions

There is an inadequate focus on patient safety in clinical education compared to classroom education. Given that the clinical setting serves as an authentic learning environment of patient safety, nursing faculties play a crucial role in reforming existing nursing curricula to integrate patient safety education in both settings to ensure continuity of learning. Clinical nursing leaders should also proactively review and reform organisational culture and practices to enable nursing students' acquisition and internalisation of patient safety learning.

Implications for Nursing Education and Management

This review highlighted the need for further collaboration between nursing faculties and healthcare institutions to advocate an environment conducive to nursing students' effective learning of patient safety.

Reporting Method

Reporting adheres to the Reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.