Elevating patient safety education in undergraduate nursing: An integrative review beyond trends

This study aimed to identify the key patient safety competencies required by nursing students, to assess the effectiveness of current training methods and to examine the barriers to integrating safety principles into undergraduate curricula. This integrative review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The following databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024: Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Springer Link. All of the identified studies were screened, extracted, and analyzed independently by two researchers. The synthesis of findings reveals a profound pedagogical evolution, characterised by a decisive shift from implicit, fragmented patient safety instruction to innovative, explicit models designed to develop the core competencies of undergraduate nursing students actively. High-fidelity simulation, scenario-based learning and quality improvement projects have notably demonstrated exceptional efficacy in empowering students to master these critical skills. The review also highlights systemic obstacles that continue to impede the consistent and systematic integration of patient safety content into formal nursing curricula. It is vital to integrate explicit, practice-based patient safety education into nursing curricula to close the theory–practice gap and develop safety as a core competency for future nurses.