The effectiveness of educational interventions to develop patient safety knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes in undergraduate nursing students: a systematic review [Abstract].

Abstract

Background and aim: Nurses are crucial in ensuring patient safety, coordinating care and developing organisational structures to improve health outcomes. Therefore, undergraduate nursing education programs should be designed to provide future nurses with the knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes that align with patient safety principles and improve the quality of healthcare systems. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions in developing patient safety knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes in undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A systematic review of effectiveness was conducted following The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Published studies in English, Portuguese and Spanish were searched from July 2011 to January 2022 across seven databases. Grey literature was also assessed. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts and appraised the full text using standardised JBI tools. Data was extracted using an adapted instrument from JBI. Due to heterogeneities in intervention characteristics, studies methodologies and outcomes measures, meta-analysis was not feasible, and the findings were presented narratively. Results: Thirty quantitative studies met the review criteria. They were rated from low to moderate risk of bias. Several teaching methods were applied, and the effectiveness of these interventions was inconsistent with increasing patient safety knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes across nursing students in all years of the programme. Conclusion: More robust research is recommended to understand the impact of interventions to teach patient safety to undergraduate nursing students. Incorporating safety principles into the curriculum and maintaining a consistent focus throughout the nursing student's education is paramount.