Assessing Student Perceptions of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Competencies in a Baccalaureate Curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Nursing programs must ensure that graduate competencies in quality and patient safety are sufficient to meet practice needs. Student perceptions of the extent to which they acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as the importance and levels of preparedness associated with the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies, were measured.

METHOD: Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 73 nursing students was surveyed using the QSEN Student Evaluation Survey tool.

RESULTS: Students perceived being the least knowledgeable about, and least prepared to, engage in quality improvement (QI) activities. This competency was perceived as being the least important. Students reported they were somewhat prepared to perform all other skills related to QSEN competencies.

CONCLUSION: Redesign of curricula emphasizing QI competencies is needed. A gap analysis identifying where in the curricula QI teaching is conducted and where it can be added may help ensure that students enter the workforce prepared to provide safe, quality care. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(7):435-438.].