This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study examined nursing students’ educational experiences on self-reported perceptions of patient safety and cultural competence in terms of curriculum content and learning venues. We performed descriptive analyses and a one-way analysis of variance with a sample of senior-year nursing students (N = 249) attending three state universities in the United States. We used the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competency Model, the Patient Safety Competency Self-Evaluation Tool for Nursing Students, and The Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument. Overall, participants reported that patient safety and cultural competencies were addressed in their curricula primarily through classroom activities as opposed to laboratory/simulation or clinical settings. Among the required patient safety knowledge topics, elements of highly reliable organizations were covered the least. For patient safety competency, participants reported higher scores for attitude and lower scores for skill and knowledge. For cultural competency, participants scored much higher for cultural awareness and sensitivity than behavior. There was no statistically significant difference between scores for patient safety and cultural competencies by nursing school. The results support the need for curriculum development to include all important aspects of patient safety and cultural competencies in various teaching/learning venues.

The frequency and consequences of bullying directed at school nurses (SNs) are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence and impact of bullying directed at school nurses, determine predictors of bullying directed at school nurses, and evaluate the individual and organizational impact of exposure to bullying directed at school nurses. School nurses (n = 334) completed an online survey comprised of the Negative Act Questionnaire–Revised, Perceived Stress Scale, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health General Social Survey 2010 Quality of Worklife Module, Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire, and open response items to determine their experiences with, and impact of, bullying. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated for quantitative data, while content analysis was used to analyze responses to open-ended survey items. One third of participants reported occasional or frequent bullying. Content analysis revealed three themes, including unexpected parent behavior, staff incivility, and formal reporting. Findings support the development of an educational intervention to assist school nurses in the prevention and management of bullying exposure.

Various causes exist for nursing student anxiety in the clinical setting. There is a need for further intervention research that may be effective to reduce student anxiety related to clinical. The purpose of this pilot research study was to measure and manage anxiety for nursing students in the clinical area with the assistance of a smartphone app. The usefulness of the app was evaluated by means of a focus group.