Patient safety: nursing students' perspectives and the role of nursing education to provide safe care

VAISMORADI M., SALSALI M. & MARCK P. (2011) Patient safety: nursing students' perspectives and the role of nursing education to provide safe care. International Nursing Review58, 434–442Background and Aim:  Nurses as the largest group of healthcare providers are in the best position to improve patient safety. In preparing future nurses, nurse educators have an important role in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes among nursing students related to patient safety. The aim of this study was to explore Iranian nursing students' perspectives regarding patient safety and the role of nursing education in developing their capabilities to provide safe care.Methods:  A purposeful sampling strategy was used to recruit 17 junior and senior nursing students for qualitative, semi‐structured interviews. Content analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted to identify several relevant themes.Findings:  Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: ‘safety as patient comfort’, ‘not being knowledgeable or experienced enough’ and ‘being helped to internalise the principles and values of patient safety’. The third theme consisted of two categories: ‘adopting a humanistic appr