Innovation
Developing and implementing a 4000 word report-style assignment for the Level 6 Module ‘The Management of Safety and Risk in Healthcare’. It includes an anecdotal account of a situation as well as critical analysis of the issues concerned with an action plan for improvement. Although it is designed to be a ‘working’ report it is referenced to evidence and research and contemporary thinking linked to integrated healthcare governance.
What prompted innovation?
- To promote education/training in writing ‘report style’.
- To encourage students to feel more at ease with producing work situation reports i.e. real issues that require safety improvements.
- For the completed report to be also used as a real working tool within the student’s own provider organisation as a means of enhancing patient safety improvement.
- As an interesting, valid alternative to the familiar essay!
What makes innovation different?
Quite simply, there is still considerable emphasis on the traditional essay as the prime means of providing work for assessing and marking within degree programmes. Within healthcare provider services, when reporting and taking action (e.g. Root Cause Analysis) upon patient safety incidents, the need to be able to provide information in a concise, factual report-style format is an expected requirement. Many Healthcare Professionals are still not conversant with a structured format of written reporting.
The former National Patient Safety Agency (NHS) has detailed 3 levels of investigation according to priority, and accordingly, there is an increase in the reporting detail for each of these levels. The NPSAs work continues to be embedded within the NHS.
Changes in practice
Feedback (questionnaire and verbal) from students during the module and upon chance meetings post module have indicated that a link has been made between the module theory and Root Cause Analysis techniques/ tools and to the clinical practice areas. It would appear that the module’s report-style assignment has greatly assisted the student to articulate how they have applied their new knowledge to existing patient safety matters and the subsequent need to further improve safer delivery of care.
Impact
On student evaluation forms providing feedback for quality assurance purposes the module has an average of 3.50 from a total score of 4.00.
Dissemination
On an informal basis when discussing the merits of the module with teaching peers and potential students undertaking other modules who are considering pathway options.