Patient Safety Competencies of Nursing Students at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Patient safety is defined as the reduction of the risk of unnecessary harm associated with healthcare in an acceptable way. It is a paramount global concern in healthcare, with large numbers of patients continuing to experience avoidable harm in healthcare settings. Objective: To assess the knowledge of students’ nurses regarding patients’ safety. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from May to July, 2025 at a public sector tertiary care institute in Karachi, Pakistan. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (GBSN) from the 2nd to the 8th semester were included while the students of 1st semester, GBSN and Post-RN, were excluded from the study. The data was gathered by using an open access, validated questionnaire, named “Health Professionals Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS)”. The sample size was 240, calculated by using Power Analysis and Sample Size (PASS) version 21.0.3. A convenient sampling technique was applied. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 27.0 Ethical approval was obtained from the designated organization’s Institutional Research committee. A written informed consent was taken from all participants. Results: 82.1% of students attended patient safety training. Statistically, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between perceptions of classroom instruction and clinical experience. A significant majority of students (85%) strongly agreed regarding their boundaries and duties of the patient safety in the clinical setting. Conclusion: Students showed an understanding of patient safety concepts, their capacity to apply these procedures effectively may be impacted by the inconsistent clinical exposure.

Keywords: Patient Safety, Competencies, Nursing Students, Classroom, Clinical settings