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Patient Safety Essentials

A free, six module, self-directed program designed especially for healthcare providers to help you understand the core of patient safety.

Estimated time to complete: 4 hours
Cost: Free

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Already enrolled?

Login to Healthcare Excellence Canada's online learning platform to access the course.

Access the course

About Patient Safety Essentials

In the dynamic healthcare environment, prioritizing patient safety is vital. Patient Safety Essentials is an e-learning program designed as a go-to guide that simplifies the fundamentals of patient safety. Empower yourself with the knowledge to develop skills that foster positive change, enhancing healthcare quality and safety across Canada. The best part? It’s completely free!

Enroll for free

A female healthcare provider is looking at a tablet with her female patient while another patient sits beside reading her book.

What's in the course


Journey to Patient Safety

Embark on a journey to discover the history and evolution of patient safety and explore why and how we can begin thinking and talking about it differently.


Cultural Safety

Learn more about cultural safety and how you can work towards reconciliation as a healthcare provider.


Impact of Harm

Explore the impacts of patient safety incidents on those affected, including patients and caregivers, healthcare providers and teams, and organizations and communities.


Patient Safety Incident Analysis

Discover how to analyze and learn from patient safety incidents to prevent harm in the future.


Why Things Go Wrong

Understand the impact that design and system issues have on our healthcare system and identify how they are connected to patient safety incidents.


Presence of Safety

Explore how to adopt a broader proactive view of patient safety to enable safer care.

Who should enroll

Below is a list of examples of who could enroll in Patient Safety Essentials. We also encourage those enrolled in their field of study who fall in these categories to also enroll.

A group of five healthcare providers, one male and three female, listening to one of the female healthcare providers speak.

Registered point of care providers such as:
  • Registered Nurses (RNs)
  • Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
  • Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
  • General practitioners (GPs)
  • Specialists (e.g., cardiologists, pediatricians)
  • Physician Assistants
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Registered midwives
  • Pharmacists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Speech-language pathologists

A female healthcare provider dressed in hospital attire smiling at the camera.

Non-registered point of care providers such as:
  • Personal Support Workers (PSWs)
  • Health Care Aides (HCAs)
  • Community Health Workers
  • Rehabilitation Assistants
  • Pharmacy Assistants
  • Unit Clerks/Medical Office Assistants

A female healthcare provider with glasses standing by a window smiling at the camera.

Quality and Patient Safety Leaders
A male healthcare provider sits with his elderly male patient while he has breakfast and has a coffee.

Why choose the course

Patient Safety Essentials is designed to benefit individuals working in various healthcare sectors across Canada, including acute care, community care, and long-term care. Enroll for free and empower yourself to make a difference in patient safety. Together, we can make safe, high-quality healthcare a reality for everyone in Canada.

Enroll for free

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Rethinking Patient Safety Discussion Guide

This discussion guide explores a new approach to patient safety where everyone contributes to safer care, and the vital roles of cultural and psychological safety are emphasized.

Download the resource

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Rethinking Patient Safety Discussion Guide

This discussion guide explores a new approach to patient safety where everyone contributes to safer care, and the vital roles of cultural and psychological safety are emphasized.

Download the resource

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