Utilization of an Instructional Package on Patient Safety Culture to Enhance Knowledge of Nursing Students in Two Selected Universities in South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: The culture of keeping patients safe is a global issue which should be emphasized within the nursing profession. Despite exposure of nursing students to patient safety teachings, its knowledge among nursing students has been low. Re-emphasizing a positive culture of patient safety in classroom is essential in the training of nurses that will provide high quality care. This study was developed to assess the outcome of an instructional package on the knowledge of baccalaureate nursing trainees concerning patient safety culture in two chosen Universities in Southwest, Nigeria. Study Design: The researchers adopted a two groups nonequivalent pre-test, and post-test quasi-experimental design. Place and Duration of Study: Babcock University, Ogun State and Afe Babalola University, Ekiti State between March and April 2018. Methodology: The study participants comprised 143 nursing students from Babcock University (experimental group) and Afe Babalola University (control group). A self-developed questionnaire was employed to obtain data on the knowledge of patient safety culture pre-intervention and two weeks post intervention. Data was examined using Statistical package for the social science (SPSS) and t-test was done at a significance level of P<0.05. Results: Findings revealed experimental mean knowledge gain of 2.425, while control group mean knowledge gain was 0.110. Significant differences were found in the participants knowledge of patient safety culture between the experimental group and control group (P<0.001) and between knowledge of error reporting in the experimental group (P<0.001).  Conclusion: Teaching sessions on patient safety culture can improve nursing students’ knowledge about patient safety. The findings of the study recommends that patient safety education should be reinforced in the curriculum of nursing schools, and that supplementary boosting sessions be executed periodically to ensure the  retention of learned materials.