Registered Nurse (RN) Coordinator Patient Safety - Surgical Services

Patient Safety Coordinator

The Patient Safety Coordinator role serves as an advocate for patient safety by developing and leading programs that reduce patient risk. The role functions as an organizational leader in promoting systems that foster the development of a culture of proactive patient safety.

Essential functions include:

• Reviews patient incident reports, ensures follow-up by unit management and determines if the event requires more in depth investigation.
• Routinely collaborates with Legal/Risk Management and Professional Staff Services to review incidents, including those with severity "greater than temporary" harm to patient.
• Reports timely and complete information on medical device/product malfunctions to the FDA and manufacturers to help ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical products involved in patient care.
• Responds to all sentinel/serious adverse events and conducts a thorough case review and chronology. In conjunction with leadership team, determines whether an event review/root cause analysis session should be called.
• Conducts event review and root cause analysis sessions. Conducts corrective action planning sessions and tracks all sentinel/serious adverse event correction plans to facilitate their completion.
• Leads and participates in a systematic chart review process to detect adverse events with harm. Analyzes data from these reviews and makes recommendations for improvement to leadership.
• In conjunction with appropriate management and staff participants, selects and conducts Failure Modes Effects Analyses (FMEA) on high risk processes. Works with process owners to develop and implement risk reduction plans.
• Sets agenda, organizes and facilitates Bi-weekly Events Review meeting in collaboration with operations.
• Prepares and presents information regarding adverse events, data and metrics gathered from the Adverse Event Tracking System for Quality Council and members of management staff.
• Stays current on best practices for patient safety and utilizes industry benchmarks as much as possible to guide approach to safety enhancement.
• Guides and supports the development of enhanced policies and procedures affecting organizational safety.
• Develops and provides training and educational programs for staff and management on pertinent patient safety topics.
• Leads sentinel event investigation including event reviews, root cause analysis and failure mode analysis. Coordinates and provides interdisciplinary evidenced based educational programs.
• Adheres to and supports team members in exhibiting TMCH values of integrity, community, compassion, and dedication.
• Adheres to TMCH organizational and department-specific safety and confidentiality policies and standards.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications include:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Nursing from an accredited institution, Master's Degree preferred. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted for these educational requirements.
• Experience: Five (5) to Ten (10) years nursing experience in a hospital setting
• Licensure or Certification: Current RN licensure permitting work in the State of Arizona. In addition, the perinatal department also requires a BLS, PALS, and an ACLS certification.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Knowledge of patient safety best practices
• Knowledge of performance improvement methods
• Knowledge of risk reduction, human factors and other fields of knowledge related to improving safety
• Skill in written and oral communications.
• Skill in investigative processes used to gather information, analysis techniques such as FMEA, and ability to provide reports and make recommendations for reducing risk.
• Skill in use of computer applications such as flow charting software, spreadsheet applications, and presentation software.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and prepare and present reports to management in both written and oral formats.
• Ability to make presentations, design and provide training/education to staff and management.