Date of Award

1-1-2018

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Yale University School of Nursing

First Advisor

Judith Kunisch

Abstract

During the first generation of patient safety, healthcare leaders began to learn about, assess, and try to improve their organization’s safety culture. However, they never developed or agreed upon an evidenced-based tool containing proven strategies to improve safety culture (NPSF, 2015). Though they were successful in making incremental steps toward improvement, safety is not currently an organizational value completely embedded within the healthcare industry (ACHE & NPSF LLI, 2017). As such, the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute, a part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, partnered with the American College of Healthcare Executives to write “Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success”, an evidence-based guide designed with tools and strategies for healthcare leaders to improve safety culture in their organizations (ACHE & NPSF LLI, 2017). Armed with a better understanding of safety culture and its role in patient safety, and a guide to improving it, healthcare is entering into the next generation of patient safety.

Leadership in a publicly-owned and academic health system recognized the opportunity to move into the next generation of patient safety by refocusing and reenergizing its initiatives to improve safety culture. First, an analysis of the current state of safety culture was conducted. Next, areas of opportunity were identified by utilizing “Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success” and working with external patient safety experts. Lastly, leadership was engaged in developing a strategic structure that would support sustained safety culture improvement.

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