Background: Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare quality, significantly influencing patient outcomes and the overall efficacy of health systems.
Aim: The study aimed to assess and compare perceptions of patient safety among nursing students, nurses, and patients in educational hospitals.
Method: This descriptive cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among nursing students, nurses, and hospitalized patients in educational hospitals in Tehran, Iran and the Faculty of Nursing affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, from October 2022 to February 2023. Using a convenience sampling method, 125 participants from each group were recruited based on specific inclusion criteria. Data were collected using three validated self-reported tools: the SFS for patients, the HSOPS for nurses, and the HSOPS-NS for nursing students. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v21, employing descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, SDs) and inferential tests (independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Bonferroni post-hoc test) to compare safety culture scores across demographic subgroups.
Results: A total of 375 participants (125 nursing students, 125 nurses, and 125 hospitalized patients) completed the study. Overall positive-response scores for patient safety were 33.6% among nursing students and 53.4% among nurses, whereas patients reported favorable perceptions of effective care (81.9%), confidence in the healthcare team (74.8%), and emotional enrichment (72.8%). Safety perceptions varied significantly by selected characteristics, including semester and clinical placement among students, educational level, ward, and shift type among nurses, and hospital ward among patients (p < 0.05).