Nursing Students' Perceptions of Safety and Communication Issues in the Clinical Setting.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to describe nursing students' perceptions of safety issues and communication in clinical settings.

METHOD: A descriptive study of nursing students' perceptions of safety and communication in clinical settings was conducted at a state university in the northeastern United States. Study participants consisted of 196 junior- and senior-level undergraduate nursing students in a baccalaureate program.

RESULTS: One third of the students reported thinking that mistakes are held against them. In addition, they reported fear of communicating an error and fear of asking questions if something does not seem right. The majority reported they never encountered a near-miss event and would not report an error that and not harm the patient. Students also responded that actual errors and near misses are not consistently reported.

CONCLUSION: Findings indicate educators have an opportunity to enhance nursing curricula with strategies to foster and embrace a culture of safety. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):287-290.].