Adverse event reporting following simulation encounters in accelerated and traditional bachelor nursing students.

Objective: This study was to investigate the differences in the types, frequency, and perspectives of self-reported adverse events reported following simulation encounters between students enrolled in two Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs: accelerated option (AO-BSN) or traditional (T-BSN) and by role (participant or observer) during simulation.

Methods: This study analyzed 6994 adverse event reports entered by students through the simulated adverse event reporting system.

Results: The AO-BSN students reported a higher percentage of adverse events coded as errors. In contrast the T-BSN students reported more near misses and sentinel events. Further, the T-BSN students significantly reported more fall related errors, while AO-BSN students reported more confidentiality breach errors. Participants reported more medication errors, whereas observers reported more airway and fall categorized errors.

Conclusion: The vantage from which adverse events are viewed and educational track appear to alter slightly the perceptions of the precipitating factors leading to committed or observed adverse events.