Patient safety and error prevention are vital in Australian nursing, with nurses reporting 3.47 safety issues per 100 staff—more than any other group. Medication errors affect up to 18% of hospital administrations, with omissions comprising 40–60% of cases. Strengthening nursing-led safety efforts is essential to reducing preventable harm and upholding high standards of care.

This certified program will provide you with an intensive, hands-on understanding of patient safety and error prevention, tailored specifically for Australian nursing leaders. You will gain in-depth knowledge of the WHO’s definition of patient safety, the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, and the clinical and systemic impact of adverse events and sentinel incidents across Australian healthcare settings.

The program emphasizes leadership in fostering a strong safety culture, with focused training on open disclosure, transparent communication, and systems-based thinking. Core models such as human factors, the Swiss Cheese Model, and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle are used to illustrate how team dynamics, environmental pressures, and system vulnerabilities contribute to patient harm. You will also explore cultural safety, health literacy, and inclusive communication strategies to reduce risks among diverse patient populations.

Through realistic clinical scenarios and structured debriefings, you will build skills in graded assertiveness, situational awareness, and crisis response. Practical modules include infection prevention and control, hand hygiene auditing, ABCDE assessment (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure) for clinical deterioration, and early warning system implementation. Tools such as ISBAR (Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) and readback communication will further strengthen clinical effectiveness and teamwork in high-risk situations.

Upon completing the program and passing the Chartered exam, you will attain the Certified Australian Nursing Leader in Patient Safety and Error Prevention (CNPS™) designation. This credential will demonstrate your advanced expertise in integrating NSQHS Standards into patient safety frameworks, driving excellence in care quality and significantly reducing clinical risks across Australian healthcare settings.

This certified program is specifically designed to empower Australian nursing leaders with the advanced clinical, analytical, and leadership competencies required to spearhead patient safety initiatives and implement system-wide error prevention strategies. Participants will engage deeply with critical areas such as medication safety protocols, human factors and ergonomics, root cause analysis, incident reporting systems, and clinical risk mitigation. The curriculum emphasizes the identification of latent system failures, the application of safety science principles, and the integration of evidence-based interventions to reduce adverse events and incidents.

You will gain an in-depth understanding of the WHO Patient Safety Framework, the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, and their operationalization within Australian health systems. Advanced modules include practical training in safety data analytics, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, and quality improvement methodologies. By program’s end, you will be fully equipped to lead clinical governance, foster a resilient safety culture, and elevate care quality at an organizational level.