NUR 631 - Health Care Quality & Safety

This course integrates principles of systems thinking with foundational concepts in patient safety and quality improvement. Students will explore the science underlying patient safety and quality improvement and design and select effective health care measures. Utilizing complexity theories, students will analyze patient safety problems, assess health care practices under the lens of patient safety and quality, and identify factors that contribute to patient safety. An exploration of the various quality improvement tools including Team Stepps, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, flowcharting, cause and effect diagrams (the Fishbone) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) will be discussed. Students will examine the knowledge and skills needed to lead patient safety and quality improvement initiatives in health care organizations utilizing the framework defined by the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). This course offers interprofessional education opportunities.
Lecture/Lab
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: NUR 520
Offered in Fall and Summer