Welcome to your Human Factors for Patient Safety course

Welcome to University of Staffordshire

We know you're already passionate about your subject, which is why we're excited you've chosen University of Staffordshire as the place to turn possibility into reality.

To give you an insight into what life as a Human Factors for Patient Safety student is like, your course leaders have prepared introductions to the course and further activities.

Our Course Aims

This course specifically focuses on Human Factors within the Health and Social Care sectors, with the main purpose being to increase the safety of patients, service users and staff. We do however introduce experience from other high-risk sectors in order to provide perspective and learning opportunities. We anticipate that your cohort will include a diverse range of people from front line staff to those with senior leadership roles. This will provide you all with a unique opportunity to share your experiences with respect to patient/service user/staff safety and wellbeing and to discuss similarities and differences across the wide reach of Health and Social Care.

If you have selected to undertake the MSc, you will cover the PgCert in year one and then extend your insights and capabilities, to achieve a deeper understanding of the philosophy, theories, science and application of Human Factors within Health and Social Care sectors in years two and three. As part of this process, you will need to have the confidence to use data to justify your interventions, therefore you will undertake a module addressing research methods in Health and Social Care settings before your choice of a research dissertation or project-based change

Year One and your first Module:

Introducing Human Factor - 20 Credits, Level 7
The Systems Approach - 20 Credits, Level 7
Let's Talk "Risk" - 20 Credits, Level 7

First activity

We start the course on Monday 19^th September with the first release of course materials taking place Saturday 17^th September. You will have access to your Blackboard Organisations site from Friday 16^th September so that we can help you if you are having any access difficulties.

Find the Discussion Board menu, on the side menu bar, positioned above ‘Live Working’ (see above). Click on this and the topic Introductions will appear. When it opens, type in your name and Introduce yourself…. Read what others have put and see if you have a similar background. We will have introduced ourselves too.

If you are available to join in with our Blended pathway students then please join us Live Virtual to say hello. To use Live Working it is best to access BlackBoard through Chrome or FireFox web-browsers. The Live Working area is accessed from the Left hand menu bar underneath Discussion Boards. Our Live Introduction is taking place on Monday 20^th September at 09.30 hrs GMT. Make sure you have sorted out camera and microphone access before you try to join in. The space will be open 10 minutes before the start-time for last minute checks.

How do we Access the Course?

The following link provides some short tutorials on how to access our systems. Most importantly I need to emphasise that our Blackboard course is accessed via Blackboard Organisations rather than via Course modules (this is so that whether you have signed up for the blended or the distance learning pathway, PgCert or MSc we can all work together) otherwise things are the same. Press Control Key and click on this link with your L mouse button:

https://sway.office.com/wgE30QZRHQiaVbyk?ref=Link&loc=play

This provides short videos on how to get on-line, how to access your University student email, how to log into Blackboard and join a class, including setting up your camera and microphone.

Blackboard Organisations ‘Human Factors for Patient Safety’ will be unlocked and available from Friday 16^th Make sure you select Organisations, rather than courses, from the Blackboard menu and then click on the icon in the centre of the icon to enter the course pages.

Where is the link to Organisations?

You will see your name and below Courses you will see Organisations – click on this.

The screen will now show the icon ‘ Human Factors for Patient Safety’ - click on this (note that the lock icon will show open (currently showing closed).

When you double click on Human Factors for Patient Safety you will enter via the announcement page.

Course handbook

Please take the opportunity to access your Course Handbook and first Module Handbook from Saturday 17th September.

Meet the team

Dr Edward Tolhurst

Associate Professor

I am a Senior Lecturer and qualitative researcher in the field of dementia, ageing and care. I am based in the Postgraduate team and course leader for the MSc in Medical Education. I am also a member of the University Research Ethics Committee.

Edward's profile

Ben Woodrow-Hirst

Lecturer

Gavin Johnson

Course Director

Course Director and HCPC registered Paramedic. Areas of interest include Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors within the pre-hospital emergency environment.

Gavin's profile

Charlotte Phillips

Senior Lecturer

Dr Paul Bowie

Professor

I am a chartered ergonomist & human factors expert and a healthcare safety and improvement researcher. My research mainly focuses on safety investigation practices and translation and evaluation of human factors concepts and methods to healthcare.

Paul's profile

What to expect on Welcome Week

We're so excited for you to join us on campus and to welcome you to where you matter. During your welcome week you'll be able to meet our friendly student services teams, connect with new friends, join societies, explore on-campus venues attend club nights and much more.

We look forward to welcoming you to the course in September and meeting you virtually, either at the Live Introduction session or during some of our live Tutor Led Discussions or during your Academic Mentor tutorial meetings.