Nursing technicians’ professional training in patient safety: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Objective: to analyze nursing technicians’ training in patient safety. Method: a convergent parallel mixed-methods study, where qualitative and quantitative elements were concomitantly implemented and equally prioritized, carried out in three technical colleges linked to a federal public institution in the Brazilian Northeast region. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 professors and thematic analysis was applied. In the  quantitative study, of the survey type, an instrument was used to screen terms about patient safety with 84 students. The results were combined during the general data interpretation, which was based on the Patient Safety Curricular Guide. Results: two thematic categories emerged: The professors’ understanding about the theme of patient safety in nursing technicians’ training; and Application and projection of the teaching of patient safety in nursing technicians’ training. In the quantitative study, among the 46 screening terms, their identification in the theoretical-practical context predominated in Courses A and C, totaling 36 (78.3%) and 25 (54.3%), respectively. Theoretical teaching stood out in Course B, with 26 terms (56.5%). Conclusion: professional training of Nursing Technician students has a technical focus and does not fully contemplate patient safety issues in the teaching-learning process and, thus, constitutes a challenge for training institutions and professors alike.