The SLIPPS Learning Event Recording Tool for students in Advanced Practice Nursing: A translation and content validation study

Abstract

Introduction

Patient safety is crucial in healthcare, yet over three million people die annually worldwide due to adverse events. To learn from adverse events and patient safety incidents, they need to be identified, examined, and reflected upon. Therefore, the SLIPPS Learning Event Recording Tool (SLERT) was developed to promote learning from patient safety events, both negative and positive. This study aimed to translate and validate the SLERT, which is already available in seven languages, for German-speaking countries.

Methods

The validation study involved a structured 4-phase blind-back translation to ensure cross-cultural equivalence of the translated tool. This was followed by a cognitive validation to determine content validity, a pilot survey with nursing students, and an evaluation of user-friendliness based on the System Usability Scale (SUS). Data was analysed qualitatively with Mayring’s method using MAXQDA and quantitatively with descriptive analysis in Excel.

Results

Five nurses participated in the group meeting on cognitive validation (Ø age = 28.8; Ø years of professional experience = 4.7). The German SLERT comprises sections underpinned by theory, which prompt students to describe, reflect upon, and learn from patient safety events. The pilot survey with 15 students (80 % women) indicated acceptable user-friendliness, with 50 % scoring between 80 and 100 on the SUS. The incidents described in the pilot exclusively indicated adverse events, near misses, or hazards from the sub-areas “medication management”, “using medical devices”, “confusion of patients”, “staff problems/errors” and “self-harm of patients”.

Discussion

For the first time, the German-language version of the SLERT was used to record and reflect on patient safety events among nursing students.

Conclusion

Standardised reporting and reflective practices are critical to improving patient safety. The SLERT provides a user-friendly way to contribute valuable data for targeted quality and risk management measures and prepare future healthcare professionals for advanced practice.