Abstract
Background: When the right working environment is created, it fosters the right behaviour in employees, A conducive environment is one that allows people to freely express themselves and escalate their concerns without fear of repercussion, victimization or undue consequences, it helps enhance work satisfaction (Ip et al., 2025; Turner et al., 2023). The classroom and the clinical work environment if appropriate and conducive should be such that it allows and not hinder free expression which can go a long way to ensure participation, satisfying individual concerns and group achievement (O’Connor et al., 2022). The central problem of the study was to gauge from Nursing and midwifery students perception of psychological safety in the clinical and classroom as a way of helping to create a conducive working and learning spaces.
Aim: The study explored the perception and experiences of psychological safety among student nurses and midwives in both classroom and clinical settings in Ghana.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design with embedded mixed-methods approach was used with 169 sample who were purposively selected. Prior to data collection, ethical approval was sought with a registration CHRPE/AP/635/25. Data was collected with a structured online questionnaire based on Amy Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Scale. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 27 while the qualitative responses were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke (2024) framework.
Results: The study found moderate levels of psychological safety in classroom interactions with the qualitative findings reporting nursing and midwifery students’ fear of embarrassment, harsh feedback, and unsupportive supervision during clinical and classroom exposures. The study also found the perceived psychological safety to be influenced by lecturers’ attitudes, preceptor support and institutional culture. Psychologically safe environments were found to improve students’ participation and confident in both the classroom and clinical environment.
Conclusion: Ensuring conducive working environment requires that people in working settings do not lose their voices and that free expression should be encouraged. This ensures confidence building and participation. A speak-up culture should be encouraged in the classroom and clinical settings as well as empathy training in both the classroom and clinical settings with improved communication skills.
Notes
Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.
References:
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2024). Reporting guidelines for qualitative research: a values-based approach. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 22(2), 399–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2024.2382244
Hao, J. and Yan, P. (2023). The impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance: The mediating role of communication behavior. Front. Psychol. 2023, 14, 1152445
Ip, E., Srivastava, R., Lentz, L., Jasinoski, S., & Anderson, G. S. (2025). Antecedents of Workplace Psychological Safety in Public Safety and Frontline Healthcare: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(6), 820. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22060820
O’Connor, P., O’Dea, A., Lydon, S., Offiah, G., Scott, J., & Flannery, A. (2022). Creating psychologically safe learning environments in clinical education: Faculty development as a key strategy. BMC Medical Education, 22, 303. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022- 03274-5
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
Chi Omicron
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Academic-Clinical Partnership, Psychological Safety, Work Environment, Nursing Students, Student Attitudes, Ghana
Recommended Citation
Mensah, Olivia Nyarko; Boatemaa, Elizabeth; Fosua, Anita; Eshun, Egya Gyanzah; and Ani-Amponsah, Mary, "Rethinking Psychological Safety in the Work Environment: Nursing Students' Perspectives" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 39.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2026/presentations_2026/39
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
2026-04-27
Rethinking Psychological Safety in the Work Environment: Nursing Students' Perspectives
Washington, DC, USA
Background: When the right working environment is created, it fosters the right behaviour in employees, A conducive environment is one that allows people to freely express themselves and escalate their concerns without fear of repercussion, victimization or undue consequences, it helps enhance work satisfaction (Ip et al., 2025; Turner et al., 2023). The classroom and the clinical work environment if appropriate and conducive should be such that it allows and not hinder free expression which can go a long way to ensure participation, satisfying individual concerns and group achievement (O’Connor et al., 2022). The central problem of the study was to gauge from Nursing and midwifery students perception of psychological safety in the clinical and classroom as a way of helping to create a conducive working and learning spaces.
Aim: The study explored the perception and experiences of psychological safety among student nurses and midwives in both classroom and clinical settings in Ghana.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design with embedded mixed-methods approach was used with 169 sample who were purposively selected. Prior to data collection, ethical approval was sought with a registration CHRPE/AP/635/25. Data was collected with a structured online questionnaire based on Amy Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Scale. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 27 while the qualitative responses were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke (2024) framework.
Results: The study found moderate levels of psychological safety in classroom interactions with the qualitative findings reporting nursing and midwifery students’ fear of embarrassment, harsh feedback, and unsupportive supervision during clinical and classroom exposures. The study also found the perceived psychological safety to be influenced by lecturers’ attitudes, preceptor support and institutional culture. Psychologically safe environments were found to improve students’ participation and confident in both the classroom and clinical environment.
Conclusion: Ensuring conducive working environment requires that people in working settings do not lose their voices and that free expression should be encouraged. This ensures confidence building and participation. A speak-up culture should be encouraged in the classroom and clinical settings as well as empathy training in both the classroom and clinical settings with improved communication skills.
Description
This research aimed at exploring the perception and experiences student nurses and midwives in both classroom and clinical settings in Ghana specifically on psychological safety in a way to challenge the status-quo aiming at improving care quality environment.