Patient Quality and Safety professional in a discussion with a nurse

Online Post-Graduate Certificate Program in Patient Safety & Quality

Improve Patient Care by Earning a Post-Graduate Certificate Online in Patient Safety and Quality

Enhance your professional experience and your nursing or healthcare career with Southern New Hampshire University's Patient Safety and Quality Post-Graduate Certificate. This 12-credit program addresses the need for the continuous improvement of the patient care process through strategies for improving patient safety and quality, as outlined in the Institute of Medicine's report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health."

Our post-graduate certificate program online in patient safety and quality prepares nurses and other healthcare professionals to meet the increasing demands of the healthcare industry.

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See Yourself Succeed in Patient Safety & Quality

The online healthcare certificate program in patient safety and quality focuses on healthcare quality improvement, risk assessment, communication, legal issues and strategies that contribute to building a culture of safety, and assuring accountability and reliability in care processes, among others.

The benefits of earning an online patient safety and quality post-graduate healthcare certificate at SNHU include:

  • Propose informatics systems initiatives and technologies that facilitate effective decision-making in delivering upon and enhancing patient care
  • Employ research practices, methodologies and a spirit of scholarly inquiry to motivate change and drive real-world improvement in healthcare
  • Generate data driven solutions for operational challenges that navigate the intersection of quality and cost in ensuring excellence in healthcare across diverse settings
  • Develop continuous improvement of the patient care process through analysis and measured change to current clinical programs in the inpatient and outpatient environments

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning an online patient safety and quality post-graduate nursing certificate at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it's convenient for you - online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your certificate at your own pace, over five 10-week terms per year
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study

Admission Requirements

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our five graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. To apply, simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options. Your counselor can also walk you through the application process, which involves completing a graduate application ($40 fee) and providing transcripts.

  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 from an accredited nursing or health professions graduate program
  • Provisional acceptance may be extended to applicants with an undergraduate GPA between 2.67 and 2.99
  • Registered nurse applicants who wish to pursue this certificate must meet MSN nursing program admission requirements.

SNHU nursing programs are not authorized in the state of Washington and we are not accepting students residing in Washington state at this time. Currently enrolled students who move into the state of Washington will not be able to continue in nursing courses until they move out of the state of Washington. Prospective students are encouraged to contact Admission and current students should contact their Advisor for more information.

Career Outlook

The patient safety and quality post-graduate healthcare certificate program provides an additional credential in a high-demand area for nurses and other healthcare professionals who already hold master's degrees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of nurses with advanced skills and other medical and health services managers is projected to grow 20% through 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.*

Curriculum

In the post graduate patient safety and quality certificate program, you'll explore healthcare systems and processes that contribute to risk reduction, evidence-based practice, knowledge of the healthcare environment, leadership, accountability, professionalism and business skills.

View Full Curriculum in the Catalog
Post-Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety & Quality

Courses May Include
IHP 604 Healthcare Quality and Improvement

Gain a broad view of US healthcare quality including its evolution and trajectory given the dynamic US healthcare landscape and changing demographics. Explore key concepts including the integration of health information and technologies to promote healthcare quality at the organizational level.
IHP 640 Measurement, Analysis, & Models for Performance Improvement

This course examines the principles of measurement, analysis and models for performance improvement to promote continuous quality improvement. Design and data collection will be explored including sampling methodology, operational definitions, establishment of benchmarks, and data integrity and differentiating between structure, process and outcome measures. Topics for measurement and analysis examined include using statistics to describe data (e.g. mean, median, standard deviation); using statistical process control charts to identify trends and distinguish between common and special cause variation; using tools to evaluate a process or display data (e.g. fishbone, run charts, Pareto chart, control chart, etc.); and evaluating data to support decision-making. Students will also explore models for performance improvement including PDSA, Six Sigma and Lean. Nursing students who successfully complete the course with a B- or better will receive 45 indirect practice hours.
IHP 645 Regulatory Compliance, Accreditation and Promoting a Patient Safety Culture

This course explores the history of the patient safety movement, regulatory requirements and accreditation standards for healthcare organizations. Principles of patient safety and error science will include methods for risk assessment and safety improvement and analysis of errors through Serious Reportable Events, Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode Effects Analysis. Students will be introduced to advanced communication strategies including group dynamics, power structures, team and team roles, hand-offs, chain-of-command, and error disclosure. Utilizing a systems thinking approach students will explore change management, collaborative practice, human factors, just and punitive cultures, and creating a high reliability organization through standardization of processes and transparency. Nursing students who successfully complete the course with a B- or better will receive 45 indirect practice hours.
IHP 670 Program Design, Planning and Evaluation

This course explores program design, planning and evaluation utilizing needs assessment, data analysis, resource allocation, and evaluation methodologies. This course provides the student with a strong foundation in the development of a program proposal.

Total Credits: 12

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Graduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $1,881 $627
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$1,410 $470

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed Annually.

Additional Costs:
$40 Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Management/Medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (viewed online December 14, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.