Mini course · Foundation level
Patient Safety Fundamentals
Recognize patient safety risks, understand why good people make errors, speak up before harm occurs, and turn incidents and near misses into opportunities for safer systems — for clinical and non-clinical staff alike.
What is Patient Safety Fundamentals?
Could this happen in your workplace? During a busy morning medication round, a medication prepared for one patient is nearly given to another with a very similar name — caught just in time. No one is to blame. In this course you will learn to recognize the risk, understand the system, stop before harm reaches the patient, speak up, report objectively, and help build safer systems.
- Duration
- 1.7 hours
- Lessons
- 28
- Level
- Foundation
- Format
- Online, self-paced
What you'll be able to do
- Explain patient safety as a system property and distinguish avoidable harm.
- Describe how good people make errors (slips, lapses, mistakes) within systems.
- Use the Swiss Cheese model to explain how aligned weaknesses allow harm.
- Identify near misses and unsafe conditions — and why "no harm" is not "no issue".
- Apply practical safety defenses: patient identification, verification, communication.
- Speak up clearly using C.U.S. and escalate when a concern is not addressed.
- Report objectively, free of blame, speculation and judgment.
- Distinguish human error, at-risk behavior and reckless behavior within Just Culture.
- Turn a safety event into learning and stronger system defenses.
Who this course is for
Course content
28 lessons · 1.7 hours total · free preview available
1Why Good People Make Errors
6 minFree preview· Why Harm Happens
Why Good People Make Errors
Introduces patient safety, avoidable harm, human error and system factors through the continuous case — the wrong-patient medication near miss.
2Error or System Problem?
3 min· Why Harm Happens
Error or System Problem?
Available after you enroll.
3Human Factor or System Factor?
4 min· Why Harm Happens
Human Factor or System Factor?
Available after you enroll.
4Build the Swiss Cheese Defense
6 min· Why Harm Happens
Build the Swiss Cheese Defense
Available after you enroll.
5Near Miss or Adverse Event?
4 min· Why Harm Happens
Near Miss or Adverse Event?
Available after you enroll.
6The Safety Habits That Prevent Harm
6 min· Recognize and Prevent Safety Risks
The Safety Habits That Prevent Harm
Available after you enroll.
7Right Patient, Right Care
4 min· Recognize and Prevent Safety Risks
Right Patient, Right Care
Available after you enroll.
8Match the Risk to the Defense
4 min· Recognize and Prevent Safety Risks
Match the Risk to the Defense
Available after you enroll.
9Find the Unsafe Conditions
5 min· Recognize and Prevent Safety Risks
Find the Unsafe Conditions
Available after you enroll.
10Stop or Continue?
4 min· Recognize and Prevent Safety Risks
Stop or Continue?
Available after you enroll.
11Speaking Up When Something Doesn't Look Safe
6 min· Speaking Up for Safety
Speaking Up When Something Doesn't Look Safe
Available after you enroll.
12What Would Stop You?
3 min· Speaking Up for Safety
What Would Stop You?
Available after you enroll.
13Build the Safety Statement
5 min· Speaking Up for Safety
Build the Safety Statement
Available after you enroll.
14Speak Up or Stay Silent?
5 min· Speaking Up for Safety
Speak Up or Stay Silent?
Available after you enroll.
15What If Nobody Listens?
4 min· Speaking Up for Safety
What If Nobody Listens?
Available after you enroll.
16From Incident to Learning
6 min· Reporting and Learning
From Incident to Learning
Available after you enroll.
17Should This Be Reported?
4 min· Reporting and Learning
Should This Be Reported?
Available after you enroll.
18Write What You Know
4 min· Reporting and Learning
Write What You Know
Available after you enroll.
19Turn Blame Into Facts
5 min· Reporting and Learning
Turn Blame Into Facts
Available after you enroll.
20Error, At-Risk, or Reckless?
5 min· Reporting and Learning
Error, At-Risk, or Reckless?
Available after you enroll.
21Turn Safety Events Into Safer Systems
6 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Turn Safety Events Into Safer Systems
Available after you enroll.
22What Should We Learn From the Near Miss?
6 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
What Should We Learn From the Near Miss?
Available after you enroll.
23Strengthen the System
5 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Strengthen the System
Available after you enroll.
24Run the Safety Huddle
5 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Run the Safety Huddle
Available after you enroll.
25Prevent the Next Near Miss
4 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Prevent the Next Near Miss
Available after you enroll.
26Complete the Safety Response
7 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Complete the Safety Response
Available after you enroll.
27Patient Safety Fundamentals Assessment
11 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Patient Safety Fundamentals Assessment
Available after you enroll.
28Patient Safety Fundamentals Complete
2 min· From Safety Event to Safer System
Patient Safety Fundamentals Complete
Available after you enroll.
Earn a credential employers can check
This certificate confirms completion of the AIHCM micro-course Patient Safety Fundamentals.
Issued: on completion
How it works
- Finish all 28 lessons at your own pace.
- Get your digital credential with a unique ID.
- Share it — employers can verify it at aihcm.us.
Questions people ask
Is this only for nurses?
No — it is written for all healthcare staff, clinical and non-clinical, including support and administrative roles.
Is the case real?
No — "The Wrong-Patient Medication Near Miss" is a fictional training case.