Effects of a Senior Practicum Course on Nursing Students' Confidence in Speaking Up for Patient Safety

As patient advocates, nurses are responsible for speaking up against unsafe practices. Nursing students must develop the confidence to speak up for patient safety so that they can hold themselves, as well as their peers and coworkers, accountable for patients' well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a senior practicum course on confidence for speaking up for patient safety in nursing students. Confidence in speaking up for patient safety was measured with the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey. The study showed a significant increase in nursing students' confidence after the senior practicum course, but there was no significant change in students' confidence in questioning someone of authority.