Patient Safety in Undergraduate Nursing: Student Perspective

Abstract

Introduction:  "Patient safety" needs to be addressed and discussed in a serious and responsible manner, where it is indispensable to equip future professionals to prevent adverse events and develop a culture of patient safety. Thus, there is a need to assess patient safety in undergraduate nursing, in the context of classroom teaching and curriculum internships. Objective: This study proposes to analyze students’ perception of patient safety at a university in Northeastern Brazil. Methodology: This is a unique instrumental exploratory case study using a qualitative approach. Participants were 12 students selected by intentional sampling. Data collection occurred via an online focus group. Data were processed in NVivo software, version 12.0 for qualitative research. Results: The data illustrated the students’ perception of patient safety in three categories: classroom teaching; curriculum internships; and attributes for the management of future nurses. Although the university does not offer a specific patient safety discipline, the issue is addressed from the start of the course, by all teachers in a satisfactory manner. Final comments: The case study found that training health professionals based on patient safety measures is one of the largest investments that universities can make, sharpening critical thinking in order to improve care and reduce hospital costs, and above all, preserve life.