Abstract
BackgroundThe Fuld Fellows Program provides selected pre-licensure nursing students with a foundation in the science of patient safety, quality improvement and leadership through coursework and a mentored experience working on a quality improvement project. We evaluated this program’s impact on Fellows’ patient safety competence and systems thinking.MethodsCohorts I-VI (n = 116) completed pre-post program evaluation that included measurement of patient safety competence through the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) and systems thinking using the Systems Thinking Scale. Pre- and post-program H-PEPSS and Systems Thinking Scale scores were compared using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The Fellows were compared to non-Fellows on patient safety competence and systems thinking using t-tests.ResultsPatient safety competence on all H-PEPSS scales improved from baseline to end of program: teamwork (2.6 to 3.1), communication (2.1 to 3.2), managing risk (2.2 to 3.3), human environment (2.8 to 3.7), recognize and respond to risk (2.7 to 3.6), and culture (2.9 to 3.8) (p < 0.05). The Fellows, in comparison to the non-Fellows, reported a significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean change score in five of the six H-PEPSS subscales. Fellows’ mean systems thinking score increased from 66 ± 7 at baseline to 70 ± 6 at program completion (p < 0.05), this mean post completion score was significantly higher than the non-Fellows reported mean STS score of 62 ± 7.ConclusionThe Fuld Fellows Program effectively facilitated patient safety and quality improvement and systems thinking learning among pre-licensure nursing students. This program can serve as a model for integrating quality and safety concepts into health professionals’ curricula.
Highlights
The Fuld Fellows Program provides selected pre-licensure nursing students with a foundation in the science of patient safety, quality improvement and leadership through coursework and a mentored experience working on a quality improvement project
A review of patient safety learning identified that patient safety was often not clearly and explicitly taught as a subject in the nursing curricula [7, 16], and a lack evidence on which clinical learning environments facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in pre-licensure nursing students [18]
The Fuld Fellows Program addresses the need for this education through: 1) didactic classes throughout the program dedicated to patient safety and quality improvement concepts, 2) an academic-clinical partnership that provides the Fellows with an opportunity to work in a clinical setting with a quality improvement team and, 3) an interprofessional course
Summary
The Fuld Fellows Program provides selected pre-licensure nursing students with a foundation in the science of patient safety, quality improvement and leadership through coursework and a mentored experience working on a quality improvement project. We evaluated this program’s impact on Fellows’ patient safety competence and systems thinking. In response to complex healthcare challenges in the United States, there is an urgent call for health professionals’ education to include development of patient safety and quality improvement competencies [1,2,3]. Gleason et al BMC Medical Education (2019) 19:156 improvement and patient safety content in pre-licensure nursing curricula [17]. A review of patient safety learning identified that patient safety was often not clearly and explicitly taught as a subject in the nursing curricula [7, 16], and a lack evidence on which clinical learning environments facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in pre-licensure nursing students [18]
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