Student learning outcomes after integration of quality and safety education competencies into a senior-level critical care course

Nursing education must respond to reports from the Institute of Medicine and others that health care education must focus more on safety and quality so graduates are empowered to positively impact patient safety. Effective teaching strategies must be developed and tested that result in positive student outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effects of structured classroom and clinical content related to safety and quality of health care systems on a group of senior-level nursing students. A mixed-method study was conducted using repeated-measures analysis of variance quantitative data from the Student Perception of Safety and Quality Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Questionnaire and content analysis for the qualitative data collected from focus group discussions. Results suggest a combination of classroom and clinical learning activities have the strongest impact on student knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to safety and quality.