Quality Improvement Project: The Impact of a Safety Coach Program in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
6-20-2026
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Beverly Clark
Abstract
Patient safety remains a critical concern in healthcare, with hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) contributing to preventable harm, mortality, and increased costs, particularly in high-acuity settings such as Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A recent safety culture survey at a tertiary pediatric hospital identified gaps in proactive safety behaviors, communication, and psychological safety. The primary problem identified was inconsistent engagement in proactive safety practices and limited frontline empowerment to identify and mitigate risks in real time. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a structured Safety Coach Program in the PICU on HAC rates, good-catch reporting, and hand hygiene compliance within three months. This project was guided by Social Learning Theory and Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. Implementation was guided through PDSA framework. A pre-post intervention design was used with PICU nursing staff. The population included six bedside nurses who were trained as safety coaches to provide just-in-time feedback and promote safe behaviors at the point of care. Data collection included HAC rates, event reporting (good catches), and hand hygiene compliance in the PICU. Findings showed stable system performance for HAC rates (0.00288–0.00913) and hand hygiene compliance (86.8%–92.5%), with all values remaining within control limits and reflecting common cause variation. Good catch reporting demonstrated inconsistent trends, suggesting variability in staff engagement and underreporting with the data showing Twenty-six good catches (u=6.5) over the 3 months. Findings suggest that embedding safety coaches supports proactive error prevention and enhances the culture of safety.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Lickliter, Royanne, "Quality Improvement Project: The Impact of a Safety Coach Program in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 359.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/359
