Effects of a patient safety course using a flipped classroom approach among undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

Background: The nursing education system has changed with the increased emphasis on patient safety in healthcare settings. Early education in patient safety is crucial to preparing nurses to be competent in patient care. Therefore, providing undergraduate patient safety education courses using an innovative approach is essential to enhancing patient safety and quality in nursing care. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of a patient safety course using a flipped classroom approach on patient safety competency among undergraduate nursing students in South Korea. Design: A pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was adopted. Settings: This study was conducted in the college of nursing at a university in Seoul, South Korea. Participants: A total of 75 undergraduate nursing students participated. All students enrolled in the patient safety course comprised the experimental group (n = 32); those with similar characteristics to the experimental group (age, gender, and year) but did not take the course comprised the control group (n = 43). Methods: A total of 14 sessions (28 h) addressing the topics from the World Health Organization patient safety curriculum guide were delivered using a flipped classroom approach. The teaching methods included online learning and quizzes, case studies, small and large discussions, incident report tasks, and group projects including the development of strategies for patient safety. A survey including a demographic questionnaire and the Patient Safety Competency Self-Evaluation tool was administered at the beginning and end of the fall semester. Results: Pre- and post-test results demonstrated a significant increase in students' patient safety competency including attitude, skills, and knowledge. Mean scores of patient safety competency in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusions: The flipped-classroom patient safety course was shown to be effective in improving patient safety competency in terms of attitude, skills, and knowledge among undergraduate nursing students.