GNYHA recently hosted a webinar that helped participants translate their Patient Safety Culture Survey results into a plan to create an effective safety culture in their work area. GNYHA staff discussed new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for Patient Safety Culture Surveys including that hospitals do a staff survey annually or biannually, with a pulse survey on the off-year. Additionally, a Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) representative discussed the hospital’s experiences with analyzing their previous survey results, creating an action plan, and implementing a pulse survey.
Beth McGovern, DNP, RNC-OB, GNYHA’s Associate Vice President, Quality and Clinical Initiatives, told participants to review their survey data and then develop an organization strategy and dissemination plan. She recommended that they debrief team members on the survey results, which encourages better communication and helps clinicians and staff generate and implement ideas on how to create an effective safety culture in their work area. Debriefs should prioritize potential improvement areas and review themes from staff survey comments. Ms. McGovern also highlighted the benefits of pulse surveys, including that they provide quicker detection of trends or changes in staff perceptions, and limitations, including that they are less comprehensive.
Danielle Galan, PA-C, MS, HSS’s Director of Accreditation and Patient Safety, reviewed connections between the Patient Safety Culture Survey and pulse surveys and discussed pulse survey implementation and lessons learned. She described how HSS identified areas for opportunity, developed interventions, and then decided how to measure the success of those interventions. The presentation can serve as a framework for hospitals looking to take action on their most recent safety culture survey.