Patient Safety Essentials for My Nursing Career

This is a comprehensive program designed to provide UPMC Patient Safety Leaders (Patient Safety Specialists, Physicians, Clinicians, Nurses, and Leadership) the knowledge and skills needed to initiate and support improved patient safety outcomes within the framework of UPMC safety-related policies, practices, and expectations. The modules may be completed in sequence as listed below or according to the participant’s needs.

If you wish to obtain a UPMC Wolff Center Certificate of Completion in Patient Safety Essentials, you must complete the following courses
(estimated time to complete – 6.5 hours coursework and 1.5 hours live workshop):

  • Introduction to Patient Safety Concepts
  • Patient Safety & Regulatory Overview
  • Patient Safety Reporting, Event Review and Analysis
  • Risk Management and Legal
  • UPMC Just Culture Curriculum (Includes completing Just Culture modules and attending a 1.5 hour Just Culture live session)

Wolff Learning Academy Patient Safety Essentials Certificate of Completion is valid for 2 years.

Obtaining the UPMC Wolff Learning Academy Patient Safety Essentials Certificate of Completion

The tracking form below can be used to record your course progress and final date of completion and submission. You will not be asked to upload this tracking form as proof of completion.

UPMC Wolff Learning Academy Patient Safety Essentials Certificate of Completion Tracking Form

When all program requirements have been met (reviewing course material, completing course surveys,
and attending any applicable live sessions), submit your program completion through this link. You will be asked to attest that you have completed all required coursework and provide your UPMC employee ID number.

Program completions are verified during the last business day of every month. Successful participants will see UPMC Wolff Learning Academy Patient Safety Essentials Certificate of Completion on their transcript in HR Direct Learning during the first week of the following month. A certificate of completion will be available through HR Direct Learning once the course is viewable on your HR Direct Learning transcript. For example, a program completion submitted on the 5th of March will be verified at the end of March, but the certificate will not be available in HR Direct Learning until the first week of April.

If your submission is not approved for any reason, participants must resubmit again through the program completion link and be processed along the next monthly schedule in which they fall after completing all program requirements. 

UPMC Just Culture

It is recognized that the greatest impediment to error in health care is when caregivers are punished for making mistakes, which instills fear, destroys creativity, and prevents staff from learning. This course is designed to assist those who affect patient safety in understanding the concepts of A Just Culture and provide exercises that will enable participants to implement these principles into their daily practice. By doing so, participants are aligning with UPMC’s values and providing a safer place for the patients of UPMC to receive care.

Visit the Just Culture Education page for registration information

Introduction to Patient Safety Concepts

This module provides an introduction to the beginning of the patient safety movement, the patient safety role, and how that role functions within the framework of UPMC.

Register for Introduction to Patient Safety Concepts

Patient Safety & Regulatory Overview

An in-depth look at agencies that guide patient safety, including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), The Joint Commission, and the Department of Health (DOH) is provided along with how the agencies intersect to dictate system patient safety responsibilities.

Register for Patient Safety & Regulatory Overview

Patient Safety Reporting, Event Review and Analysis

Patient safety events from voluntary reporting through state, patient reporting, and event analysis principles are examined.  Also included are UPMC’s incident reporting platform RiskMaster, MCARE Act, Patient Safety Authority, and PA-PSRS. 

Register for Patient Safety Reporting, Event Review and Analysis

Risk Management and Legal Overview

Patient safety specialists work closely with the risk management and legal departments when an adverse event occurs. This module introduces you to event coding and the RiskMaster system along with processes in place for risk management and legal interactions or escalation.

Register for Risk Management and Legal