A Voluntary Graduation With Distinction Program in Patient-Centered Care and in Quality and Safety

A Voluntary Graduation with Distinction Program in Patient-Centered care and in Quality and Safety.

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) has identified six competencies based upon the IOM 2003 recommendations. The six competencies are: patient-centered care, teamwork & collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics (IOM, 2003; QSEN, ND). In an effort to facilitate achievement of QSEN competencies in healthcare students, a College of Health Sciences in the southeast region of the United States developed a voluntary graduation with distinction program in patient-centered care and in quality and safety. This College has certificate programs, associate, baccalaureate and graduate program in healthcare professions. Students can participate in one or both distinctions and can be completed over two semesters. Each distinction has three required activities and two elective activities.
Patient-Centered Care requirements:
Required Activities:
• read the book Josie’s Story
• participate in an interdisciplinary collaboration simulation
• poster presentation at the learning symposium at completion of all requirements.
Elective Activities:
• shadow a healthcare professional outside their educational program
• attend a diversity experiences such as a poverty simulation
• attend a professional conference on patient-centered care
• volunteer at an approved community non-profit organization
Quality and Safety requirements:
Required Activities:
• view a series of videos developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on health disparity outcomes
• participate in an interdisciplinary collaboration simulation
• poster presentation at the learning symposium at completion of all requirements.
Elective Activities
• attend a professional conference on quality and safety
• attend a professional regulatory meeting such as a board of nursing meeting
• complete a case study on quality indicators
• attend a series of approved compassion fatigue/mindfulness activities
• shadow a risk management professional.

The students complete an electronic portfolio and upload a reflective summary paper after each activity following an established rubric. The Integrative Committee members grade each assignment using the rubric. Students must achieve an 80% or higher for each assignment.
Currently 153 students have enrolled in the program with fifteen completing the program. There are still 101 actively working toward program completion. Upon graduation, the students who complete all requirements will have the distinction listed on their official transcript and on their diploma.
This program began to provide inter-disciplinary education training opportunities for healthcare students. It has evolved into a growing structured program for students to develop awareness in the QSEN competencies and to stand out as new graduate healthcare professionals as they enter into their practice area.