Patient safety: a focused associate-degree nursing learning module

Abstract

BackgroundThe number of medical errors in the United States is estimated to be up to 250,000 per year. Nurses are critical to patient safety; however, few nursing programs include curricula focused on system-level elements that foster patient safety or experiential training on graded assertiveness communication techniques. AimThis study examined the effectiveness of a safety-focused educational intervention for 22 students in an associate-degree nursing (ADN) program at a rural technical college in the Southeastern United States. MethodsThe investigator used videos, lectures, discussions, and role-play to teach students about system-level elements that foster patient safety and a graded assertiveness communication technique. To evaluate effectiveness, a survey measured students' self-reported knowledge of patient safety concepts and levels of confidence in voicing safety concerns. ResultsStatistical analysis of aggregated pre- and post- intervention survey results demonstrated significant gains in both self-reported knowledge of patient safety concepts and levels of confidence in voicing safety concerns. ConclusionsFindings suggest that a brief but focused educational module such as the one described may be a suitable and effective approach to improving ADN students' knowledge and confidence regarding patient safety.