The chapter discusses patient safety within the context of healthcare education. This is essential because the educational preparation of health care professionals takes place within the clinical learning environment (CLE), and the learning takes place as students provide direct patient care. The chapter discusses that student related factors and suboptimal CLEs are the two main factors that that compromise patient safety. Acquisition of clinical skills is the main student related factor which compromises patient safety and harm to patients is inevitable until mastery of the skill is attained. Suboptimal CLEs are characterised by resource constraints and staff shortages which compromise patient safety. It is argued that safety consciousness is required among educators in health care education for the patient safety agenda and the safety of the students in training to be achieved. Factors within the CLE which compromise the emotional safety of students are also discussed. Finally, strategies to promote patient safety and the safety of students are proposed.
Authors: Gladys Msiska, Gervasio Nyaka, Wanangwa Chikazinga, Patricia Katowa-Mukwato
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802207064.000024
Publish Year: 2023
