ERIC Number: EJ932857
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Aug
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1382-4996
EISSN: N/A
Students' Perceptions of Patient Safety during the Transition from Undergraduate to Postgraduate Training: An Activity Theory Analysis
de Feijter, Jeantine M.; de Grave, Willem S.; Dornan, Tim; Koopmans, Richard P.; Scherpbier, Albert J. J. A.
Advances in Health Sciences Education, v16 n3 p347-358 Aug 2011
Evidence that medical error can cause harm to patients has raised the attention of the health care community towards patient safety and influenced how and what medical students learn about it. Patient safety is best taught when students are participating in clinical practice where they actually encounter patients at risk. This type of learning is referred to as workplace learning, a complex system in which various factors influence what is being learned and how. A theory that can highlight potential difficulties in this complex learning system about patient safety is activity theory. Thirty-four final year undergraduate medical students participated in four focus groups about their experiences concerning patient safety. Using activity theory as analytical framework, we performed constant comparative thematic analysis of the focus group transcripts to identify important themes. We found eight general themes relating to two activities: learning to be a doctor and delivering safe patient care. Simultaneous occurrence of these two activities can cause contradictions. Our results illustrate the complexity of learning about patient safety at the workplace. Students encounter contradictions when learning about patient safety, especially during a transitional phase of their training. These contradictions create potential learning opportunities which should be used in education about patient safety. Insight into the complexities of patient safety is essential to improve education in this important area of medicine. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Workplace Learning, Grounded Theory, Medical Education, Medical Students, Student Attitudes, Safety, Focus Groups, Patients, Undergraduate Students, Models, Comparative Analysis, Educational Improvement, Physicians, Health Services
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A