Understanding the processes by which patient safety experts impact patient safety goals and culture at the Great Ormond Street Hospital

This proposed doctoral studentship will focus on understanding one piece of a broader strategic initiative at GOSH to embed a patient safetyculture throughout the organization. The broad initiative has four components. Safety leadership aims to define safety goals, standards,governance systems, and targets across levels within the organization, and to establish GOSH as a leader in the larger system on patient safety.Professionalization of safety aims to define roles and responsibilities for patient safety, and to create and embed dedicated patient safetyexperts in the organization who can support leaders, managers and staff in embedding safety in their work. Involvement involves prioritizingpatient voice, choice, and empowerment in safety initiatives. Safety culture involves creating the psychological safety needed to have truelearning that leads to safer systems.The proposed doctoral studentship will focus explicitly on the professionalization of safety, with a specific focus on processes by which patientsafety experts are embedded in the organization. The student's dissertation work will address the research question: what is the process bywhich dedicated patient safety experts can advance patient safety goals, and help establish a patient safety culture?