The Effect of Patient Safety Training Program Based on Constructivist Learning Model on Nurses’ Critical Thinking and Clinical Decision – Making: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the Patient Safety Education Program based on the Constructivist and Traditional Learning Models on nurses' knowledge levels, critical thinking tendencies, and perceptions of clinical decision-making regarding patient safety.Method: This study employed a randomized controlled experimental design. A total of 60 nurses were randomly assigned into three groups: the intervention group (n = 20), control group (n = 20), and placebo group (n = 20). The study was conducted in the internal medicine and surgical clinics at a city hospital. Data were collected using the Nurse Information Form, Patient Safety Knowledge Test, California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, and Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale.Results: The majority of the intervention group were male (65%), single (65%), with undergraduate degrees (75%). Their mean age was 28.90±4.49 years. The control group was mostly female (60%), single (70%), with undergraduate degrees (80%). Their mean age was 28.95±6.82 years. The placebo group included males and females equally (50%), 65% single, and 85% with undergraduate degrees. The intervention group’s patient safety knowledge scores were higher post-test compared to the control and placebo groups. Follow-up 6 months, the intervention group’s total and subscale scores on the critical thinking disposition were also higher than those of the control and placebo groups. Similarly, after 6 months of follow-up, the intervention group’s total and subscale scores on clinical decision-making were higher than those of the other groups, indicating a significantly enhanced clinical decision-making perception compared to the control and placebo groups. Conclusion: The findings indicate that patient safety training based on the Constructivist Learning Model effectively improves nurses' knowledge levels regarding patient safety and enhances their perceptions of clinical decision-making. However, it does not sufficiently increase their critical thinking tendencies.