Executive Certificate in Clinical Quality, Safety & Leadership

4 credits | Fall & Spring Semester

This course will focus on historical concepts and current issues quality care and patient safety. Through this course, learners will be introduced to relevant theory, content, tools and methods as they relate to patient safety and health care quality. The learner will begin exploring basic principles of human factors engineering, high reliability and error science to gain a better understanding into the causes of errors.

4 credits | Fall & Spring Semester

Leading national patient safety experts and patient advocates will introduce learners to relevant theory, content, tools and methods in the field of patient safety. Learners will be introduced to patient safety problems and high-risk contexts for error occurrence, and will become fluent with shared decision-making and the role of patient advocates. Effective methods for error disclosure will be introduced. Learners will develop skills to be able to conduct a patient safety risk assessment using principles of safe system design, all within the context of a just culture. The course readings, presentations, hands-on exercises and discussions are designed to develop learners as they become the next leaders in the field of patient safety.

4 credits | Spring & Summer Semester

The Executive Certificate in Clinical Quality, Safety & Leadership and the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) believe that a coordinated, quality-competent healthcare workforce begins in the classroom and has teamed up to provide impactful content rooted in patient safety principles and waste reduction.

Through sessions focused on fundamental concepts of systems thinking, improvement science, and data collection, organization, and analyses, students will learn to create and use data to answer empirical questions. 

By leveraging NAHQ’s twice-validated industry-standard competency framework, you will receive a set of practical tools and a common vocabulary to enhance your knowledge and provide grounding in healthcare quality precepts. 

After completing this course, you can further your education by pursuing NAHQ’s coveted Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ) certification. The only accredited certification in healthcare quality, the CPHQ designation is recognized by the industry as the gold standard and is increasingly preferred or required by employers. 

4 credits | Fall & Spring Semester

This course introduces learners to organization theory, culture and leadership, specifically as related to the health care system in the current safety and quality environment. Historical and contemporary leadership theories will be explored and applied. Exercises and discussions will engage learners in critical and creative thinking about current and potential challenges in healthcare, and the impact leadership has on the creation of a just culture. Learners will delve into ethics and values, negative behaviors, passion, and role reward and recognition play. Upon completion of this course, learners will be prepared to incorporate the values of effective leadership methods into their personal leadership plan specific to safety and quality management.