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Designing for Sustainment

Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV)

Lisa H. Lubomski, PhD

4.6

Based on 92 ratings

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Lisa H. Lubomski, PhD

Keeping patient safety and quality improvement projects on track, on time, and on budget is critical to ensuring their success. In this course, students will be introduced and given the opportunity to apply a series of tools to guide and manage patient safety and quality initiatives. These include tools for defining what success looks like, developing a change management plan, and conducting a pre-mortem to identify risks for project failure. This course will also provide tools for engaging stakeholders to ensure key players are invested in your project’s success.

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What's inside

Syllabus

What Does Success Look Like?

In this module, learners will develop an understanding of what project sustainment is and why it is important, the potential risks to project sustainment, the importance of planning for sustainment from project inception, types of measures used in quality improvement projects and the attributes of each, how strategies for improvement were developed in two successful large-scale quality improvement initiatives. Learners will become familiar with the issues impacting sustainment and how they may be successfully addressed across the life span of a quality improvement project.

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Examines project failure and how to mitigate the risks associated with it, which is crucial for any professional involved in risk management or working on projects

Gives learners a valuable tool for planning and managing quality improvement initiatives through the 'Pre-Mortem' tool

Delves into concepts such as project sustainment, stakeholders' engagement, and change management, which are vital for professionals in various domains, including healthcare, business, and education

Teaches foundational project management principles for maintaining project success, making it relevant for beginners and professionals looking to enhance their project management skills

Led by instructors with extensive experience in patient safety and quality improvement, providing valuable insights into the field

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Reviews summary

Tools for sustaining improvement work

According to learners, this course is a practical guide providing invaluable tools and frameworks for ensuring improvement projects, particularly in patient safety, stay on track. Students consistently praise the clear lectures and the actionable strategies presented, finding them directly applicable to their professional roles. Many appreciate the bite-sized modules which make the content manageable alongside a busy schedule. While the course offers real-world examples and covers vital concepts like change management, a few reviewers felt that some areas, such as hands-on application, could benefit from additional depth or case studies, suggesting potential learners might benefit from supplementary study for mastery.

Content is delivered in bite-sized pieces.

"The modules were bite-sized and easy to fit into a busy schedule."

"The length of the modules makes it manageable."

"I found the course structure with short modules helpful for fitting it into my busy schedule."

Frameworks and concepts are well-explained.

"The lectures were clear and the frameworks were well-explained."

"Excellent course covering vital aspects of project sustainment. The lectures were engaging..."

"The segment on change management, particularly identifying technical vs adaptive work, was a lightbulb moment."

"The concepts were interesting and the explanation of frameworks like change management was quite clear."

Offers actionable strategies and tools.

"This course was incredibly practical! The tools like the Pre-Mortem exercise and the 4 E's + 2 model are directly applicable to my work in patient safety."

"The planning tools provided are invaluable. Definitely equips you with strategies to keep improvement work on track."

"Fantastic course! Focused on practical application, which is exactly what I needed."

"I learned about practical tools and strategies that I could apply immediately to my work."

Some areas could benefit from more detail.

"Could have used a bit more depth on dealing with particularly resistant stakeholders..."

"I found some parts a bit theoretical. While the tools are introduced, applying them felt a bit abstract..."

"It's a decent introduction, but might need supplementary reading for real-world mastery."

"I would have liked to see more detailed case studies or hands-on application exercises."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Designing for Sustainment: Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV) with these activities:

Review key concepts from project management

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Reviewing project management concepts will help you understand the tools introduced in the course and how to apply them effectively.

Browse courses on Project Management

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Go over your notes from previous project management courses or workshops.
Review key concepts such as project scope, timeline, budget, and risk management.
Consider taking a practice quiz or exam to test your understanding.

Conduct a Pre-Mortem Exercise for a Quality Improvement Project

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A pre-mortem exercise can help you identify and mitigate potential risks to your project's success.

Browse courses on Quality Improvement

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Gather a team of stakeholders.
Brainstorm potential risks to the project.
Develop mitigation strategies for each risk.

Use the 4 E's + 2 Model to Plan for Stakeholder Engagement

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The 4 E's + 2 Model can help you identify and engage key stakeholders in your project.

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Identify your project's stakeholders.
Assess their needs and interests.
Develop a stakeholder engagement plan.

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Create a project plan for a quality improvement initiative

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Creating a project plan will give you hands-on experience applying the tools you learn in the course to a real-world scenario.

Browse courses on Quality Improvement

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Define the scope of your quality improvement project.
Set goals and objectives for your project.
Develop a timeline and budget for your project.
Identify stakeholders and develop a communication plan.
Create a risk management plan.

Develop a Project Charter for a Quality Improvement Project

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Creating a project charter will help you define your project's goals, scope, and timeline, which are essential for project success.

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Define the project's goals and objectives.
Identify the project's stakeholders.
Develop a project timeline and budget.

Conduct a pre-mortem for your project plan

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Conducting a pre-mortem will help you identify potential risks and challenges to your project and develop mitigation strategies.

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Gather a group of stakeholders to participate in the pre-mortem.
Walk through your project plan and identify potential risks.
Brainstorm solutions to mitigate the risks.
Document the risks and mitigation strategies.

Review 'The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail'

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This book provides insights into the challenges organizations face when innovating and can help you understand the importance of project sustainment and change management.

View The Innovator's Dilemma, with a New Foreword on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key insights.
Identify examples of how the Innovator's Dilemma has played out in the healthcare industry.

Review 'Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In'

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This book provides insights into the art of negotiation and can help you develop skills for engaging with stakeholders in your project.

View Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without... on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key insights.
Identify examples of negotiation techniques that you can use in your own work.

Participate in a peer review of project plans

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Participating in a peer review will provide you with feedback on your project plan and help you identify areas for improvement.

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Find a peer who is also working on a quality improvement project.
Exchange project plans and provide feedback.
Discuss your feedback and make revisions to your project plan.

Practice Change Management Techniques

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Practicing change management techniques can help you effectively implement changes in your organization.

Browse courses on Change Management

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Identify a change management model to use.
Develop a change management plan.
Implement the change management plan.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the change management plan.

Create a presentation on your project plan

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Creating a presentation will help you communicate your project plan to stakeholders and get buy-in for your project.

Browse courses on Project Planning

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Outline your presentation.
Develop slides for your presentation.
Practice your presentation.
Deliver your presentation.

Attend a workshop on change management

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Attending a workshop on change management will help you understand the principles of change management and how to apply them to your project.

Browse courses on Change Management

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Research and find a workshop on change management.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop.
Apply what you learn from the workshop to your project.

Implement a Quality Improvement Project

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Implementing a quality improvement project will give you hands-on experience in applying the concepts you learn in this course.

Browse courses on Quality Improvement

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Identify a problem to solve.
Develop a plan to solve the problem.
Implement the plan.
Evaluate the results of the plan.

Mentor a Junior Colleague on Quality Improvement

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Mentoring others can help you reinforce your understanding of quality improvement concepts and share your knowledge with others.

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Identify a junior colleague who would benefit from your mentorship.
Develop a mentoring plan.
Meet with your mentee regularly to provide guidance and support.

Career center

Learners who complete Designing for Sustainment: Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV) will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Process Improvement Specialist

The Designing for Sustainment course will aid Process Improvement Specialists in developing the tools needed to design and implement effective improvement initiatives. The modules on what success looks like, conducting a premortem, and planning for engagement will aid Process Improvement Specialists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Process Improvement Specialist

Quality Assurance Manager

This course will help Quality Assurance Managers learn how to define project objectives, conduct pre-mortems, and create change management plans. These are all essential skills for any individual hoping to manage project success and keep projects on schedule. In particular, the module on pre-mortems may be especially valuable to those interested in quality assurance management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Manager

Quality Engineer

This course will help enhance skills needed to define project objectives, conduct pre-mortems, and create change management plans. These are all essential skills for any individual hoping to manage project success and keep projects on schedule. The module on conducting a premortem may be especially valuable to those interested in quality engineering.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Engineer

Operations Manager

The Designing for Sustainment course can be useful for Operations Managers. This course will teach you to define what success looks like, conduct a pre-mortem, and plan for engagement. These are all important skills for an Operations Manager to have.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Change Analyst

Change Analysts can benefit from this course's component on change management 101. This course will teach you tools and frameworks for change management that are applicable in a wide range of jobs within the field of quality and process improvement.

See salaries and explore the career path for Change Analyst

Safety Officer

Safety Officers commonly implement and manage safety programs to reduce risks and ensure compliance. The Designing for Sustainment course can be helpful for Safety Officers to learn ways to keep projects on track, on time, and on budget.

See salaries and explore the career path for Safety Officer

Business Analyst

This course may be beneficial to Business Analysts. It covers key concepts such as defining what success looks like, conducting a pre-mortem, and planning for engagement. These concepts are important for Business Analysts who want to implement successful initiatives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Regulatory Affairs Manager

Regulatory Affairs Managers should take this course because it provides fundamentals on how to keep projects on track, on time, and on budget. The component on planning for engagement also may be very helpful to this job title.

See salaries and explore the career path for Regulatory Affairs Manager

Quality Management Specialist

This course can be beneficial to Quality Management Specialists. It covers key concepts such as defining what success looks like, conducting a pre-mortem, and planning for engagement. These concepts are important for Quality Management Specialists who want to implement successful initiatives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Management Specialist

User Experience Designer

The Designing for Sustainment course may be useful for User Experience Designers. The course covers key concepts like defining what success looks like, conducting a pre-mortem, and planning for engagement. These concepts can be applied to the work of a User Experience Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Performance Improvement Specialist

This course may be useful for Performance Improvement Specialists. It can teach you to define what success looks like, conduct a pre-mortem, and plan for engagement. These are all important skills for someone working in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Performance Improvement Specialist

Change Management Consultant

This course can be useful for Change Management Consultants. It can teach you to define what success looks like, conduct a pre-mortem, and plan for engagement. These are all important skills for someone working in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Change Management Consultant

Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts may find this course to be helpful. It will teach you how to define what success looks like, conduct a pre-mortem, and plan for engagement. These are all important skills for a Systems Analyst to have.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Data Analyst

Data Analysts can benefit from this course. It may be helpful for Data Analysts to apply the concepts of what success looks like, conducting a pre-mortem, and planning for engagement to their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Project Manager

Project Managers can benefit from this course's module on change management 101. This course may also be helpful to project managers as the course will teach you tools and frameworks that can be used in a wide range of projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Featured in The Course Notes

This course is mentioned in our blog, The Course Notes. Read one article that features Designing for Sustainment: Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV):

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Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Designing for Sustainment: Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV).

Making Numbers Count

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Provides additional insights into change management and how to address barriers to engagement.

Designing for Sustainment

Keeping Improvement Work on Track (Patient Safety IV)

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Save this course

Reviews summary

Tools for sustaining improvement work

Activities

Career center

Featured in The Course Notes

Reading list

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