• Susanna Tella, Nancy-Jane Smith, Pirjo Partanen, and Hannele Turunen.
• Doctoral Student, Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
• Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2015 Jun 1; 12 (3): 154-64.

BackgroundGlobalization of health care demands nursing education programs that equip students with evidence-based patient safety competences in the global context. Nursing students' entrance into clinical placements requires professional readiness. Thus, evidence-based learning activities about patient safety must be provided in academic settings prior to students' clinical placements.AimsTo explore and compare Finnish and British nursing students' perceptions of learning about patient safety in academic settings to inform nursing educators about designing future education curriculum.MethodsA purpose-designed instrument, Patient Safety in Nursing Education Questionnaire (PaSNEQ) was used to examine the perceptions of Finnish (n = 195) and British (n = 158) nursing students prior to their final year of registration. Data were collected in two Finnish and two English nursing schools in 2012. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the differences.ResultsBritish students reported more inclusion (p < .001) of "gaining knowledge," "training skills," and "highlighting affirmative attitudes and motivation" related to patient safety in their programs. Both student groups considered patient safety education to be more valuable for their own learning than what their programs had provided. Training patient safety skills in the academic settings were the strongest predictors for differences (odds ratio [OR] = 34.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.39-162.83), along with work experience in the healthcare sector (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.39-6.58).Linking Evidence To ActionTo prepare nursing students for practical work, training related to clear communication, reporting errors, systems-based approaches, interprofessional teamwork, and use of simulation in academic settings requires comprehensive attention, especially in Finland. Overall, designing patient safety-affirming nursing curricula in collaboration with students may enhance their positive experiences on teaching and learning about patient safety. An international collaboration between educators could help to develop and harmonize patient safety education and to better prepare nurses for practice in the global context.© 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

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