Patient Safety Education Outcomes Among Healthcare Students Undertaking an Operating Room Internship: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background Operating rooms are among the most complex and high-risk healthcare environments, rendering patients particularly vulnerable to threats to patient safety. In addition to professional healthcare teams, healthcare students undertaking clinical internships are actively involved in care processes within these settings. This study aimed to evaluate perceived patient safety education outcomes among healthcare students undertaking an operating room internship. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between 15 February and 15 June 2025 at the Operating Room Services and Anesthesia Programs of a Vocational School of Health Services in Türkiye. The sample consisted of 120 second-year healthcare students who were undertaking operating room internships and had completed the Patient Safety course during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using a Descriptive Information Form and the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS). Results The H-PEPSS scores in the classroom setting were significantly higher than those in the clinical setting (Z = − 8.950, p < 0.001). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of operating room internship and the scores obtained from the “Recognize, respond to, and Disclose Adverse Events and Close Calls” subscale of the H-PEPSS in the clinical setting (r = 0.186, p = 0.042). Although some students reported witnessing patient safety–threatening events during their internships, only one-quarter of these incidents were formally reported. Conclusions The findings suggest a need to extend the duration of operating room internships for healthcare students and to implement supportive, non-punitive strategies that encourage the reporting of patient safety–threatening events. Further research involving students from diverse healthcare disciplines undertaking operating room internships is recommended.