The responsibilities of caregiver safety officers, department safety officers, and patient safety coaches will transition to a revised safety coach role starting in October. All caregivers are invited to volunteer for these expanded roles that improve safety at Intermountain.
The revised safety coach role will now be focused on patient, caregiver, and environmental safety. Safety coaches will be embedded with their teams, as part of their existing job, to be a safety resource while on shift. These volunteers will become knowledgeable safety experts by staying up to date on safety expectations and guide their teams to better performance.
Current patient safety coaches, department safety officers, and caregiver safety officers are invited to continue their efforts in this revised role. If you’re interested in becoming a caregiver safety coach, contact your supervisor or local OPE manager.
Next steps and resources:
- Local leaders and OPE managers will connect soon with current department safety officers or coaches to inform them of the changes.
- If you’re a caregiver in a safety officer or coach role, visit the Safety Coach webpage for more information.
- Contact your nurse administrator, nurse coordinator, or local OPE manager to learn more. You can also contact Bonnie Jacklin, RN, senior nurse executive director for the Office of Patient Experience, at Bonnie.Jacklin@imail.org.
“Thank you, caregiver safety officers,” Bonnie says. “You’ve played a critical role in keeping caregivers safe since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve helped implement personal protective equipment (PPE) standards across all departments and have improved event reporting and safety performance in several regulatory areas related to reportable injuries and harm. Department safety officers and patient safety coaches have likewise played critical roles in making Intermountain a safer place.”