Staff Education to Improving Patient Safety Outcomes Through Structured Staff Education

This staff education doctoral project was implemented to address inconsistent staff knowledge of patient safety principles, disproportionate adherence to safety practices, and underutilization of standardized educational resources in an acute care clinic setting. It was important to address this issue in the context of nursing practice because patient safety is foundational to high-quality health care, directly influencing patient outcomes, regulatory compliance, organizational performance, and workforce morale. The practice-focused question was the following: In an acute care clinic, how does the implementation of a standardized safety protocol education program, compared to existing practices, impact staff knowledge regarding a culture of safety? The purpose was to implement an evidence-based patient safety education program using the ADDIE instructional design model to enhance staff knowledge. Analytical strategies included pre- and posteducation multiple-choice knowledge tests. The analysis of the pretest and posttest was performed using Microsoft Excel for a paired sample t test. Findings showed significant improvements with average knowledge scores increasing from 57.9% to 92.6%. Every participant had an increase in score from pretest to posttest. Major products included a structured ADDIE-based education program with PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and pretests/posttests. Conclusions supported the staff education project as a practical approach to improving staff knowledge. Recommendations include integrating the program into onboarding, offering annual refreshers, and conducting long-term evaluations. This project has implications for nursing practice by promoting standardized, evidence-based education to strengthen patient safety culture.