Effectiveness of Awareness and Understanding of Patient Safety Training for Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction: Patient safety, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the avoidance of mistakes and negative consequences related to medical treatment. Concern among the general public and professionals has grown as a result of increased awareness of medical errors and their repercussions, especially as they have been brought to light by the media and social media. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has placed a strong emphasis on patient safety, pointing out that adverse events play a major role in inpatient mortality. Objectives: 1. To assess nursing students’ knowledge regarding patient safety, 2. To evaluate the effectiveness of a patient safety awareness program and to assess its impact on nursing students' knowledge. 3. To determine the association between knowledge scores and selected demographic variables. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to choose 100 third-year General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) nursing students for a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test post-test design. A structured knowledge questionnaire on patient safety was used to gather data. The pre-test was followed by an awareness program, and two days later, there was a post-test. Descriptive and inferential statistics (paired t-test, ANOVA, and independent t-test) were used to examine the data; p < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: The 100 nursing students were all female, and most were between the ages of 21 and 25. The majority of pre-test knowledge (49%) was ordinary, but post-test results showed a significant improvement, with 58% attaining excellent and 6% exceptional knowledge. The average score rose from 8.58 ± 2.79 to 30.26 ± 5.91 (p = 0.0001). Urban students scored much higher than rural pupils (p < 0.05), although there was no significant correlation between knowledge and age. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that a structured patient safety awareness program significantly improved the knowledge of patient safety among GNM nursing students. The results highlight the value of integrating patient safety education into the nursing curriculum to strengthen students' understanding of safe clinical practices and support the delivery of high-quality patient care. Although age was not associated with knowledge improvement, differences based on area of residence suggest that educational resources and learning opportunities may influence outcomes. Future research should include larger, more diverse samples, evaluate long-term knowledge retention, and compare the effectiveness of different educational approaches, such as simulation-based, case-based, and technology-assisted learning.