The effect of clinical risk management training on patient safety competency and related aspects in nursing students

Abstract

Background Students’ exposure to clinical risk management during their studentships can improve their safety competency, comfort speaking up about patient safety, and attitudes toward patient safety education. This study aimed to determine the effect of clinical risk management training on nursing students’ patient safety competency, attitudes toward broader aspects of patient safety in professional education, and comfort in speaking up about patient safety. Methods This experimental study used stratified sampling to assign 56 nursing students to intervention and control groups (28 students in each group). The intervention group received clinical risk management training in three three-hour sessions. The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey was used to collect data from both groups before and one month after the intervention. Results The study found no statistically significant difference in patient safety competency and its subscales between the intervention and control groups in the pretest stage, but these competencies increased significantly in the intervention group in the post-test stage compared to the control group. The mean scores of attitudes toward broader aspects of patient safety in professional education and comfort speaking up about patient safety did not differ significantly between the intervention and control groups in the pre-test stage, but they increased significantly in the intervention group in the post-test stage compared with the control group. Conclusion It is recommended that clinical risk management and patient safety training be applied to the nursing curriculum so that nursing students become competent to provide safe care in clinical settings.