Medical students' responses to a patient safety culture survey suggested a lack of a "just culture," an environment in which reporting adverse events is not penalized, according to a study in the Academic Medicine.
One hundred twenty-one fourth-year medical students at University of California, San Francisco, completed a modified version of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture in 2011 based on their third-year internal medicine or surgery clerkship experience. The researchers found the following:
• "Teamwork within units" and "organizational learning" were rated highest, or the most present, among the survey domains.
• "Communication openness" and "Nonpunitive response to error" were rated lowest, or least present, among survey domains.
• 56 percent of students reported they would not speak up when witnessing a possible adverse event.
• 55 percent of students were afraid to ask questions if things did not seem right.
• 48 percent of students reported feeling that mistakes were held against them.
"Overall, students reported a desire for additional patient safety training to enhance their educational experience," the authors wrote.
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One hundred twenty-one fourth-year medical students at University of California, San Francisco, completed a modified version of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture in 2011 based on their third-year internal medicine or surgery clerkship experience. The researchers found the following:
• "Teamwork within units" and "organizational learning" were rated highest, or the most present, among the survey domains.
• "Communication openness" and "Nonpunitive response to error" were rated lowest, or least present, among survey domains.
• 56 percent of students reported they would not speak up when witnessing a possible adverse event.
• 55 percent of students were afraid to ask questions if things did not seem right.
• 48 percent of students reported feeling that mistakes were held against them.
"Overall, students reported a desire for additional patient safety training to enhance their educational experience," the authors wrote.
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Does Patient Safety Culture Always Mean Safe Hospitals? Nurses Say No