Kontakt X:X | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2026.008

Psychometric properties and nursing students' perceptions of patient safety using the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey: a cross-sectional validation studyNursing - Original article

Daniela Bartoníčková ORCID...^{1, *}, Lenka Mazalová¹, Eva Reiterová ORCID...¹, Klára Brišová¹, Peta Jane Greaves ORCID...², Alison Machin ORCID...², Dominika Kohanová ORCID...³

¹ Palacký University in Olomouc, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Olomouc, Czech Republic

² Northumbria University, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, School of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

³ Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Nursing, Nitra, Slovak Republic

Introduction: Despite increasing emphasis on patient safety in nursing education, valid culturally adapted instruments in Central Europe remain scarce. Nursing students' perceptions of safety competencies is essential for enhancing patient-centred care.

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Czech version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) and to assess nursing students' self-reported competencies in patient safety.

Methods: A purposive sample of 496 nursing students participated. Psychometric properties included face and content validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied to examine differences across settings and sociodemographic variables.

Results: After ensuring face and content validity, the six-factor structure of H-PEPSS demonstrated good model fit (CMIN/df < 2.0; CFI, TLI, NFI > 0.90; RMSEA < 0.10). Internal consistency was high (α = 0.939 academic; α = 0.935 clinical). The highest-rated competencies were in "Effective Communication" (≥80%), while the lowest-rated were in "Safety Risk Management" (70.9%) in the academic setting and in "Teamwork" (72.67%) in the clinical setting. Significant differences between individual settings were mainly associated with variables related to education (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion: The Czech version of the H-PEPSS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing patient safety competencies in nursing education. The results highlight persistent challenges in sociocultural safety domains and call for stronger support for students' learning in both academic and clinical settings. These findings contribute to the ongoing international challenges on fostering a culture of safety and accountability in patient-centred nursing care.

Keywords: Competence; Nurse; Patient safety; Perception; Student; Validation Study

Grants and funding:

Supported by the IGA project: Nursing Students' Patient Safety Competencies (IGA_FZV_2023_006).

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: October 15, 2025; Revised: January 6, 2026; Accepted: January 26, 2026; Prepublished online: January 29, 2026