Our just culture model is founded on the principle that workforce learning, holistic system design, mentoring, and coaching are stronger interventions than the‘ shame and blame’ culture that’ s so prolific in healthcare.”— David Marx
of a just culture. It takes the C-Suite to lead a just culture, with the CMO / CNO / CSO being its greatest champions. But without the CHRO being brought it, it’ s hard to make it work.”
The significance of just culture in the healthcare workforce was highlighted in the CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure taking effect this year. The measure requires hospitals to demonstrate they have established a culture and structure that prioritizes patient safety, specifically referencing just culture in the domain about strategic planning and organizational policy.
“ Too many healthcare staff, through no fault of their own, are operating in poorly designed systems, with hierarchical cultures that prevent staff from speaking up about safety hazards and‘ near misses,’” explains Schabacker.“ Not only does this lead to more incidents of patient harm, but it fuels high rates of burnout and stress among overworked healthcare personnel. We can’ t train our way to improved safety and quality. Only through a cultural transformation can we adopt a completely new way of supporting and collaborating with our healthcare workforce.”
According to Schabacker, joining forces with The Just Culture Company is a milestone that reflects ECRI’ s strategy to identify and mitigate the root causes of harm and inefficiency in healthcare.“ As the industry has evolved, we have continued to launch data-informed, evidence-based solutions that address the systemic failures that are causing the most harm – areas where healthcare leaders have struggled to create lasting change despite valiant efforts,” Schabacker says.“ We are thrilled to add this on-demand solution and strong brand to ECRI’ s portfolio to accelerate our mission to advance effective, evidence-based healthcare globally.”
“ We’ re very excited about being acquired by ECRI,” Marx says.“ ECRI shares our same
values, and their size and market position are the rocket fuel needed to help us spread the message of just culture across healthcare organizations worldwide. We want our model of just culture to continue to be the gold standard for workplace accountability, and ECRI’ s non-profit patient safety mission, and being a very trusted voice in healthcare, means it is a great home for The Just Culture Company.”
Marx says that just-culture beliefs are suitably integrated with ECRI’ s Total Systems Safety( TSS) approach and explains how this methodology is being used by hospitals.
“ We like to say,’ Systems plus choices equals outcome.’ The choices we make are shaped by our culture. Total Systems Safety is about the methods, tools and interconnected system for making healthcare safer. We can create very specific systems and duties around infection prevention, for example. We can build safe systems. Yet without an accompanying safe culture, the results will be limited and not sustainable. Adding just culture to TSS enhanced its ability to maximize the benefits of our TSS solutions.”
Organizational culture matters within infection prevention and control, according to Marx who notes that“ It is easy to have a strong culture when each of us sees a very direct and visible link between our choices and the tragedy or triumph those choices
Leading Infection Prevention Education and Training Across the Rocky Mountain Region
What’ s the Health of Your Infection Prevention Program?
Founded by Teri Hulett, RN, BSN, CIC, FAPIC in October 2016,
Infection Prevention Strategies is a healthcare consulting organization with a commitment to excellence and a passion to serve the Rocky Mountain Region. Our expertise and extensive healthcare infection prevention experience enables us to provide hospitals, ASCs, LTC facilities, and outpatient clinics with the necessary training to meet regulatory compliance and improve patient outcomes.
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