Other Titles
Rapid Presentation Round
Abstract
In nursing education, fostering psychologically safe learning environments may support student well-being and academic achievement. Edmondson's Psychological Safety Framework (1999) provides the theoretical foundation for this study, framing classroom psychological safety as an environmental factor that influences student well-being and academic outcomes through its impact on learner engagement and interpersonal risk-taking. There is limited research exploring the relationship between classroom psychological safety and nursing student well-being, particularly in undergraduate face-to-face classroom settings.
The purpose of this study is to examine nursing students' experiences, perceptions, and academic outcomes to better understand how instructor behavior and the classroom teaching environment influence student success and well-being. A cross-sectional electronic survey will be administered to undergraduate nursing students at two universities in Illinois. Psychological safety will be measured using a modified version of Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Scale, well-being will be assessed using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and academic outcomes will be collected through self-reported course grades. Data analysis will include descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and multiple regression to explore associations between psychological safety, well-being, and academic performance. Two open-ended questions will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis with inductive coding to identify themes related to student experiences and faculty behaviors.
Findings are expected to demonstrate that higher levels of perceived classroom psychological safety are associated with greater student well-being and stronger academic outcomes. Actionable strategies emerging from the study will focus on faculty development approaches to promote psychological safety, such as modeling vulnerability, responding supportively to questions, and normalizing mistakes. These strategies are practical, scalable, and directly support healthier educational environments and student retention, and prepare practice-ready nurses.
Notes
Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.
References:
Beard, L. B., & Johnson, A. T. (2024). Mapping psychological safety in the nursing classroom. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 19(2), 157-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2024.02.019
Butler, L., & Lyman, B. (2025). Pre-licensure nursing students' experiences of psychological safety: A longitudinal qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 144, 106451.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106451
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.
Grailey, K. E., Murray, E., Reader, T., & Brett, S. J. (2021). The presence and potential impact of psychological safety in the healthcare setting: an evidence synthesis. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06740-6
Regional Office for Europe WHO, & Bech, P. (1998). WHO-5 Well-being Index. In Health for All. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 https://ogg.osu.edu/media/documents/MB%20Stream/who5.pdf
Turner, S., Harder, N., Martin, D., & Gillman, L. (2023). Psychological safety in simulation: Perspectives of nursing students and faculty. Nurse education today, 122, 105712.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105712
Sigma Membership
Epsilon Eta at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Teaching/Learning Strategies, Faculty Development, Stress/Coping, Nursing Education, Academic Achievement, Well-Being, Teaching, Learning Strategies, Teacher Development, Psychological Stress, Stress Management
Recommended Citation
Frost, Erica; Whittington, Kelli D.; Omole, Glory; and Birchett, Chloe, "Psychological Safety in the Classroom: Effects on Nursing Student Well-Being and Academic Success" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 21.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2026/presentations_2026/21
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-04-23
Psychological Safety in the Classroom: Effects on Nursing Student Well-Being and Academic Success
Washington, DC, USA
In nursing education, fostering psychologically safe learning environments may support student well-being and academic achievement. Edmondson's Psychological Safety Framework (1999) provides the theoretical foundation for this study, framing classroom psychological safety as an environmental factor that influences student well-being and academic outcomes through its impact on learner engagement and interpersonal risk-taking. There is limited research exploring the relationship between classroom psychological safety and nursing student well-being, particularly in undergraduate face-to-face classroom settings.
The purpose of this study is to examine nursing students' experiences, perceptions, and academic outcomes to better understand how instructor behavior and the classroom teaching environment influence student success and well-being. A cross-sectional electronic survey will be administered to undergraduate nursing students at two universities in Illinois. Psychological safety will be measured using a modified version of Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Scale, well-being will be assessed using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and academic outcomes will be collected through self-reported course grades. Data analysis will include descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and multiple regression to explore associations between psychological safety, well-being, and academic performance. Two open-ended questions will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis with inductive coding to identify themes related to student experiences and faculty behaviors.
Findings are expected to demonstrate that higher levels of perceived classroom psychological safety are associated with greater student well-being and stronger academic outcomes. Actionable strategies emerging from the study will focus on faculty development approaches to promote psychological safety, such as modeling vulnerability, responding supportively to questions, and normalizing mistakes. These strategies are practical, scalable, and directly support healthier educational environments and student retention, and prepare practice-ready nurses.
Description
This multi-site cross-sectional study examines how classroom psychological safety influences nursing student well-being and academic outcomes. Guided by Edmondson’s framework, surveys using a modified psychological safety scale, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and self-reported academic data were analyzed. Findings will inform faculty strategies to foster supportive learning environments that promote student success.