In December 2008 the Health Centre launched a new initiative that demonstrates our commitment to putting patients first by providing the safest care and building a culture of safety at St. Joseph’s.
On a weekly basis, a small group of Senior Leadership members as well as Patient Safety visit all areas across the Health Centre conducting what is called "Patient Safety Rounds". During these rounds, leaders visit with frontline providers, listening to their concerns and identifying potential issues regarding patient safety.
This has been recognized as an excellent way to connect frontline staff with Senior Leadership - both as a way to educate Senior Leadership about safety concerns from the viewpoint of the direct care provider, and also to demonstrate the organization's commitment to creating a culture of safety at St. Joseph’s.
The overall goal of Patient Safety Rounds is to:
- Ensure that a systematic process is in place for the identification, prioritization and implementation of solutions to patient safety issues that have been identified by frontline staff.
- To provide opportunities for the identification, reporting and resolution of issues that contributes to near miss and adverse events.
- To foster an open and just culture by encouraging staff to discuss events openly.
How do the Patient Safety Rounds Work?
Two members of the Senior Leadership team and a Patient Safety Manager conduct the Patient Safety Rounds visiting a different department each week. Staff is asked questions regarding patient safety in their unit. All staff working in the area are encouraged to participate in the discussion and all comments are strictly confidential. The process is an informal one and focuses on patient safety-related topics. Discussions are documented only for purposes of identifying issues and are focused on the system or area, not on the individual; therefore no names or identifiers are documented.
Within a week, one of the Senior Leaders returns to the unit area to discuss what opportunities for improvement were discovered and resolutions that will be discussed. Patient Safety reviews the discussion document after each Patient Safety Round only to ensure there were no concerns missed.
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Page last updated: March 30, 2011
