Third year nursing studentsʹ viewpoints about circumstances which threaten safety in the clinical setting

SummaryBackground ce emphasizes that learners, educators, clinicians, programs, and organizations share the responsibility for establishing and maintaining safety throughout undergraduate nursing education. Increased knowledge about studentsʹ perceptions of threats to safety in the clinical setting may guide educatorsʹ efforts to promote the development of safe novice practitioners while preserving patient safety. ive rpose of this study was to describe third year nursing studentsʹ viewpoints of the circumstances which threaten safety in the clinical setting. s Q methodology, 34 third year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students sorted 43 theoretical statement cards. Each card identified a statement describing a threat to safety in the clinical setting. These statements were generated through a review of nursing literature and consultation with experts in nursing education. Centroid factor analysis and varimax rotation identified viewpoints regarding circumstances that most threaten safety. s discrete viewpoints and one consensus perspective constituted studentsʹ description of threatened safety. The discrete viewpoints were labeled lack of readiness, misdirected practices, and negation of professional boundaries. There was consensus that it is most unsafe in the clinical setting when novices fail to consolidate an integrated cognitive, behavioral, and ethical identity. This unifying perspective was labeled non-integration. sion year nursing students and their educators are encouraged to be mindful of the need to ensure readiness prior to entry into the clinical setting. In the clinical setting, the learning of prepared students must be guided by competent educators. Finally, both students and their educators must respect professional boundaries to promote safety for students and patients.