Nursing Education Curriculum Improve Patient Safety Essay
Abstract
With the increasing events of patient safety issues, there is an increased pressure to provide safe, high-quality, and safe care. As a result, there is pressure on the healthcare educational institutions to produce highly qualified nursing personnel with the required skills to address the safety issues in the healthcare industry (Mansour et al., 2018). To produce competent nursing staff, the curriculum used to train nurses should integrate patient safety as a major course unit. Educational institutions should hire competent nursing instructors and use appropriate teaching skills. It is also necessary for healthcare organizations to provide professional development training on patient safety to ensure nurses are trained in new care and patient safety practice developments. Nurses should also be examined on patient safety during licensure and accreditation procedure. Nursing Education Curriculum Improve Patient Safety Essay
Nursing Education Curriculum (Improve Patient Safety)
Introduction
Patient safety in the healthcare system is a major public health issue. The ethical principle underpinning healthcare provision is “Do No Harm”. Therefore, incorporating patient safety in the nursing education curriculum is a vital tool to safeguard patient welfare. Studies indicate that engaging nursing students on principles of patient safety significantly influences and shapes their long-term knowledge of patient safety skills and behaviors (Lee et al., 2016). Even though the basic pillars underpinning patient safety are now an essential component of nursing education, ambiguity still exists regarding how best can patient safety be integrated into the nursing clinical and theoretical education.
Currently, nursing students are not trained on patient safety as a separate topic during their nursing training. This contributes to nursing graduates having inadequate knowledge and skills regarding patient safety and their role to ensure that patients are provided with proper and safe care (Mansour et al., 2018). Moreover, the lack of adequate awareness for nursing students and nurses regarding the importance of safe patient care may lead nurses to consider actions that compromise patient safety as normal occurrences. Therefore, nursing education represents a vital venue to provide future nurses with suitable patient safety knowledge and skills.
The Impact/Relevance to Nursing/Staff Education
The issue of patient safety is very relevant in nursing education and also nursing practice. The public is increasingly becoming aware of risks to patient safety within hospital setup and this may erode the public trust in the healthcare system (AbdAlla, 2017). Moreover, the risk to patient safety leads to significant moral and economic liability on the healthcare system and the healthcare providers. Therefore, since nurses are the primary caregivers, they are key players in ensuring the provision of quality care. Thus, the performance of nurses is key to refining patient safety in the healthcare system. Whereas the focal point has been on providing safe care services, attainment of the overall necessary safety levels requires much more (Lee et al., 2016). Therefore, nurses as the primary caregivers must receive proper and adequate training regarding patient safety.
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The lack of adequate patient safety content in the nursing education curricula is relatively evident within the literature. This is despite nurses forming the highest percentage of healthcare providers that provide direct patient care. Therefore, integrating patient safety in the nursing education curriculum may provide the foundation for an innovative clinical education model to enhance patient safety competency development.
Nurses are vital for patient safety (AbdAlla, 2017). Nursing education is an avenue that can be useful in facilitating patient safety. Studies indicate that deaths ranging between 0.5% and 2% among hospitalized patients are allied to an adverse event, which may be preventable (AbdAlla, 2017). Patient safety within the healthcare system is majorly dependent on a sound and well-established nursing curriculum. This indicates the significance of integrating patient safety into both the nursing education curriculum and also the professional curriculum.
Patient-centered care and personalized care are very important in the provision of safe patient care. This indicates the importance of nurse educators preparing nursing students with the foundational knowledge regarding how to offer safe care, patient-centered interdisciplinary care within a constantly changing healthcare environment (Hsiao-Ying et al., 2019). In order, to generate competent nurses in patient safety, the integration of patient safety in nursing education is fundamental. Nurses having adequate education and preparation on patient safety is likely to produce nursing workforce competent on patient safety. Nursing Education Curriculum Improve Patient Safety Essay
Nurses competent on patient safety will provide high-quality care and improve the quality of care. When nurses have the appropriate skills and knowledge on patient safety, they are likely to provide care that meets the practice and professional standards (Lee et al., 2016). For example, nurses competent on patient safety are likely to implement the appropriate quality improvement initiatives such as fall prevention programs or programs aimed to prevent hospital-acquired infections or medication errors. This indicates that integrating patient safety in nursing education programs is likely to significantly ensure patient safety and improve the quality of care.
Strategies to Resolve/Solve the Issue
Integrating patient safety in the curriculum of nursing students is the first step to ensuring patient safety in clinical practice (AbdAlla, 2017). For that reason, developers of the nursing education curriculum and nursing instructors have to develop, train, and equip nurses with the required skills and knowledge to ensure the provision of safe and high-quality health care (Mansour et al., 2018).
Secondly, the nursing educators and instructors must use educational methods that teach nursing students how to apply their integrated learning and clinical experience to real clinical situations during patient safety education (Tregunno et al., 2016). For example, teaching techniques such as nurse-shadowing experiences and simulations can be useful in equipping nursing students with the appropriate skills and knowledge on patient safety.
The third strategy is the set entry to accreditation standards and practices patient safety competencies for the nursing staff, and other health professional disciplines. Fourthly, healthcare organizations should provide professional development courses and continuous training on patient safety to ensure nurses are trained on new patient safety practice developments (Hsiao-Ying et al., 2019).
Lastly, assessment of patient safety competency should be integrated into licensure exams. This would ensure that before being accepted to practice, nurses are examined about their competency on patient safety.
Conclusion
The selected issue is patient safety. It is important to integrate patient safety in the nursing education curriculum to safeguard patient welfare. Engaging nursing students on principles of patient safety significantly improves their long-term knowledge of patient safety skills and behaviors. The use of educational techniques such as simulations and nurse-shadowing experiences can allow nursing students to experience real clinical situations during patient safety education.
References
AbdAlla, A. (2017). Nurses are a Key to Ensure Patient Safety: A systematic review. International Journal of Research Studies in Medical and Health Sciences, 2(9), 10-15.
Hsiao-Ying, H. U. N. G., Yu-Wen, W. A. N. G., Jui-Ying, F. E. N. G., Chi-Jane, W. A. N. G., & Esther Ching-Lan, L. I. N. (2019). Evidence-based practice curriculum development for undergraduate nursing students: the preliminary results of an action research study in Taiwan. The Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4), e30.
Lee, N. J., Jang, H., & Park, S. Y. (2016). Patient safety education and baccalaureate nursing students’ patient safety competency: A cross‐sectional study. Nursing & health sciences, 18(2), 163-171.
Mansour, M. J., Al Shadafan, S. F., Abu-Sneineh, F. T., & AlAmer, M. M. (2018). Integrating Patient Safety Education in the Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum: A Discussion Paper. The open nursing journal, 12, 125–132. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874434601812010125.
Tregunno, D., Ginsburg, L., Clarke, B., & Norton, P. (2016). Integrating patient safety into health professionals’ curricula: a qualitative study of medical, nursing, and pharmacy faculty perspectives. BMJ quality & safety, 23(3), 257-264.
Read “Reconceptualizing Program Outcomes” and “Leveling EBP Content for Undergraduate Nursing Students” for a better understanding of issues within curriculum development.
Select an issue within curriculum development that is of interest to you.
Write a paper of 1,000-1,250 words on the issue, discussing its affect and relevance to nursing, staff or patient education.
- Why is this issue a problem at your place of employment?
- What are your proposed strategies to resolve these issues?
- Use at least three to five scholarly, peer-reviewed resources less than 5 years old in addition to the course materials. Make sure that you do not use the two sources given in this assignment.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
