Making a Difference

When she switched from hands-on clinical care to risk management and quality improvement nearly five years ago, Janet Mirza, M.S.N, RN, CPHRM, director of quality and risk management, Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital (San Antonio, Texas), saw event reporting from an entirely new perspective.

As a nurse, “I knew I had to do event reporting, but as a risk manager, I realized how important it is so we can look at the processes that cause events,” says Mirza. Today, as a risk manager educating staff about the importance of event reporting, she draws upon her experience as a nurse to let staff members know that she’s been in their shoes. “I tell them that I understand that reporting is difficult, and it takes time.” But she also shares what she’s learned as a risk manager and tells staff that reporting events “is the right thing to do for the patient; this is how we improve.” Further, she emphasizes to staff that “there’s no retribution...