Patient Safety Specialist

Patient Safety Specialist

The Patient Safety Specialist is responsible for promoting a culture of safety and reducing patient harm across the hospital by supporting the development, implementation, and evaluation of safety initiatives. This role serves as a key resource for the identification, investigation, and analysis of safety events, working closely with clinical teams, risk management, and hospital leadership to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and best practices. Through data-driven analysis, staff education, and collaborative problem-solving, the PSQIS helps drive continuous improvement in the quality and safety of patient care.

Responsibilities

Safety Monitoring-40%:

• Facilitate the investigation of adverse events, near misses, and safety concerns; perform root cause analyses (RCAs).
• Manage and analyze data from patient safety event reporting systems; identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement.
• Facilitates quality improvement efforts using PDSA cycles, Lean methods, and other improvement tools.
• Develop and support action plans to mitigate identified risks and ensure implementation of recommended changes.
• Identifies high-risk areas and collaborates with teams to implement mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate and lead daily safety huddles; follow-up on identified safety issues.
• Assist in the development and review of patient safety policies, procedures, and protocols.

Patient Safety Leadership & Advocacy-30%

• Promote a culture of safety through education, training, and engagement activities for staff at all levels.
• Builds positive relationships and integrates patient safety principles into clinical practice.
• Participate in hospital safety committees, quality councils, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Facilitates briefings and debriefings following safety events.
• Stays current with national safety standards and shares relevant updates with teams.
• Promotes transparency and accountability in event and near-miss reporting.
• Conducts process observations and supports improvements based on findings.

Clinical Outcomes & Data Monitoring-15%

• Tracks and reports metrics related to patient safety and quality projects.
• Maintains databases of safety events, identified issues, and corrective action plans.
• Reviews documentation and collaborates with leaders on improvement strategies.
• Utilizes dashboards to monitor key performance indicators and drives their use across teams.

Education, Coaching & Support-15%

• Provides education and just-in-time coaching on safety practices and quality improvement tools.
• Rounds on clinical units to reinforce safety culture and respond to staff needs.
• Partners with unit leaders to support specific patient safety initiatives.
• Mentors clinicians in quality and safety best practices.

Performs Other Duties as Assigned.

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience Required:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Public Health or a related healthcare field required.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of nursing or other healthcare-related experience. 1 to 3 years of patient safety, quality improvement experience in a healthcare setting required.

Education and/or Experience Preferred:

• Education: Master's degree in a healthcare related discipline.
• Experience: Clinical background (e.g., RN, allied health).

License and/or Certification Required:

• State of CT Nursing License, or licensure in another clinical field (as applicable).

License and/or Certification Preferred:

• Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) or Certification in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge:

• Safety event investigation techniques such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Quality improvement methodologies, including Lean, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), and other evidence-based improvement models.
• Data collection, measurement, and analysis methods, including benchmarking and comparative data evaluation to develop quality reports.

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management skills, including stakeholder engagement, resource coordination, and timeline management.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships.
• Fluency in computer applications such as Microsoft Office related to safety administration.

Abilities:

• Analyze problems, make independent decisions, interpret data, and formulate clear, actionable reports.
• Prioritize tasks, plan effectively, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Collaborate across departments to implement and sustain safety standards and guidelines.
• Foster a collegial, respectful, and engaging environment with team members at all levels.
• Strong coaching, teaching, and mentoring capabilities.