CPSO Credential Now Available

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., — The Board of Certified Healthcare Safety Management, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978, proudly announces the new Certified Patient Safety Officer (CPSO) credential. The Board developed the CPSO designation to encourage healthcare leaders to recognize the need for qualified professionals leading patient safety efforts. CPSO professionals can help lead the way by helping develop non-punitive reporting programs, implementing true safety cultures, and encouraging the use of system safety methods. CPSO professionals understand the importance of coordinating patient safety activities across the entire organization to reduce adverse events while improving the bottom line.

The Board issued the first credentials in early 2006. To date more than 80 healthcare professionals have the CPSO credential. CPSO professionals come from a variety of healthcare backgrounds including nursing, administration, risk, quality, allied health and safety. The Board strongly believes that CPSO professionals will be very effective in coordinating patient safety initiatives across the entire continuum of care.

Certification candidates must document relevant experience and education. Candidates serving as formally appointed patient safety officers or coordinators automatically qualify to sit for the exam. Other candidates for certification must document two years of relevant patient safety-related experience and pass the comprehensive CPSO examination. To date more than 100 candidates have taken the challenging CPSO examination. The examination contains 110 to 130 test items. The exam focuses on topics such program design, leadership, communication, safety cultures, patient safety goals, system safety methods, accreditation standards, and specific patient risks.

According to James Tweedy, Board Executive Director, "The CPSO credential does not compete with other healthcare credentials but was developed to fill a void in the area of patient safety. The CPSO credential complements specific designations such as the CPHRM (risk management), CPHQ (quality), CIC (infection control), and CHSP-Master Level. Candidates holding any of the above credentials are considered highly qualified and are encouraged to sit for the CPSO exam.

Candidates must complete a formal application, provide a current job description, and obtain two formal reference evaluations from persons knowing their qualifications. Application forms can be printed from the Board website. Applicants serving as a patient safety advocate can also apply and be designated as a Certified Patient Safety Advocate (CPSA). Any applicant not meeting the CPSO experience requirements may be credentialed as a Certified Patient Safety Specialists (CPSS). For example, the CPSS designation would be appropriate for front-line nurses serving as Unit Patient Safety Coordinators.

The Board of Certified Healthcare Safety Management (BCHSM) began issuing the Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) credential in 1978. The Board has issued more than 2,600 CHSP credentials to healthcare professionals during the past 30 years. As the CPSO program continues to grow, BCHSM is evaluating the need for additional healthcare related certifications. Contact the Board today for information about the CPSO and CHSP programs.

Source: Board of Certified Healthcare Safety Management

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