Knowledge of The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals and an effective provider cooperative practice involving communication and teamwork are essential for the delivery of safe and compliant patient care in the surgical setting. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an educational intervention for physicians and nurses designed to increase documentation of compliance with national patient safety standards. As events of noncompliance have impacted patient safety at the hospital where this project was conducted, measures were needed to assess barriers to compliance with standards of practice and to focus educational session plans on identified knowledge-base needs.

The goal of this project involved bringing all surgical team members together for educational sessions on safety standards. Pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments of knowledge were administered to study participants. Additionally, random chart documentation audits were conducted before and after the intervention to assess the effectiveness of the education sessions on documentation compliance with the targeted standards.

Outcomes of this study included improved knowledge of, and compliance with, national patient safety goals. Results may improve safe patient care at this hospital, reduce costs, and create mutual respect and teamwork, all contributing to the successful achievement of the organization’s quality improvement goals.