Due to an increasingly rigorous regulatory environment, litigation, technological advances, and emerging infectious diseases, healthcare organizations are often linking their Risk Management, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement programs. Many organizations are realizing the value of this linkage in terms of identifying, prioritizing, mitigating, and monitoring risk and are hiring nurses who understand the importance of developing and implementing a comprehensive Risk Management/Quality Improvement program. The ongoing evolution of Risk Management, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement programs across the continuum of health care affords nurses many opportunities to explore a career transition to this growing specialty area.
While identifying and prioritizing an organization’s risk is a crucial step in developing an effective program, linking the quality improvement component adds the critical steps of mitigating the risk through the development of evidence-based corrective action plans and monitoring to sustain compliance with regulations and best practices. Staff education is a crucial step in program development since everyone in the organization has a key role in conducting best practices to achieve desired outcomes.
Effective analysis and utilization of data is another vital component in stratifying risk areas and measuring the effectiveness of your corrective actions. The importance of this component is sometimes overlooked, and data is collected but not analyzed. Analysis of data can assist with determining the root cause of an adverse event which is a critical step in developing appropriate corrective actions.
In this course you will be provided with an introduction and overview of Risk Management and Quality Improvement principles and processes. Throughout the course you will be provided with tools for developing an effective integrated program and practical applications for these tools. Real-world case studies and best practices will be introduced throughout the course to assist you in understanding the necessary steps to transition from bedside nursing to a Risk Management/Quality Improvement role.
Learning Objectives for Risk Management/Quality Improvement 101:
1. Understand the processes and scope of effective Risk Management, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement programs.
2. Understand and utilize validated tools for identifying/mitigating risk including patient safety issues and develop methods to correct and sustain safe and compliant practices.
3. Understand and utilize strategies for educating staff and obtaining their “buy in” to ensure a multidisciplinary approach in developing an effective program.
4. Understand how to collect, analyze, and utilize data.
5. Understand how to complete a thorough root cause analysis.
6. Develop and implement an evidence-based corrective action plan.
7. Apply core principles and required skills to develop a comprehensive program that integrates Risk management, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
About the Instructor:
Sherry Thomas, BS, RN, QCP, IPCO
Sherry has been an RN for 38 years and is credentialed as a QAPI certified professional (QCP) and an Infection Prevention Control Officer (IPCO). Sherry provides first-hand knowledge and experiences, tailoring the coaching experience to the individual needs of each student.
As she navigated the complexities of the regulatory environments of CMS and Joint Commission as a staff nurse and Director of Nursing, she began to coach and teach new nurses regulatory standards. More importantly she helped them develop action plans to correct and sustain best practices. As she explored the areas of QAPI and Risk Management she taught new nurses to broaden their understanding of these specialty areas and to explore the many opportunities available in these fields of nursing.
