Certified Patient Safety Organization Workforce Examination (exam only)
Time limit: 365 days
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Full course description
Estimated Hours to Complete: 3
This course provides exam access only for the Certified PSO Workforce (CPSOW) credential. It is designed for PSO Workforce professionals who are prepared to demonstrate mastery of Patient Safety Act requirements, PSWP protections, and advanced Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES) practices.
AQIPS sets the industry standard for PSO workforce competencies and professional development. The CPSOW certification exam assesses applied knowledge of legal duties and professional responsibilities under the Patient Safety Act, including how statutory protections operate to safeguard patient safety work product and healthcare providers.
Successful candidates demonstrate the ability to apply CPSOW concepts in real-world contexts, including the design and evaluation of patient safety programs that support quality improvement across the healthcare continuum.
⚠️ This course does not include training modules, webinars, or instructional materials.
Competencies Assessed on the CPSOW Examination
The CPSOW exam evaluates a candidate’s ability to:
- Apply PSWP and provider protections, including Privilege, Confidentiality, and Immunity
- Demonstrate working knowledge of PSO, PSES, and Patient Safety Activity concepts
- Evaluate advanced PSES implementation strategies, including policies, procedures, and system diagramming
- Assess approaches to peer review, analysis programs, and safe tables
- Interpret the tools used in security risk assessments
- Apply problem-solving skills using case-based scenarios
- Facilitate appropriate sharing of PSWP across the healthcare continuum
- Support patient-centered quality and safety improvement
- Analyze relevant PSWP case law
Recommended Resources
Prior to testing, it is recommended that PSO Workforce members/employees have completed the six CPSOW training modules:
- Module 1: Professional Responsibility
- Module 2: Basics of PSQIA Operation and Terms
- Module 3: PSES Processes and PSWP Pathways, Including Patient Safety Event Report Investigation Scenarios
- Module 4: Disclosures and Uses of PSWP
- Module 5: Practical Application, Including Peer-to-Peer Scenarios and Case Law
- Module 6: Confidentiality and Security Training
For more information, please explore the course offering, Certified Patient Safety Organization Workforce (CPSOW) Training.
Course Faculty:
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Justin Burton, MBA, BSN, RN, CPPS, CPHQ, NE-BC Director Justin is a Registered Nurse with over 18 years of hospital experience, including critical care, transplant, neuroscience, data analytics, quality improvement, and Risk/Patient safety. Justin has been recognized as a leader, educator, and innovator who utilizes creativity and experience to drive project management, process improvement, and patient safety. Email: Justin.Burton@unthealth.edu |
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Jennifer Barrow, MSN, CPPS Patient Safety and Quality Executive Jennifer is a Registered Nurse with over 10 years of hospital experience, including emergency services, pediatrics, outpatient surgical services, Risk/Patient safety, and quality improvement. Jennifer is dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care through inspiring and continuous process improvement efforts, professional experience, and transformational leadership. Jennifer aims to collaborate with health care leaders to keep patient safety the top priority and ensure the highest quality care is delivered to our community. Email: Jennifer.Barrow@unthealth.edu |
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Peggy Binzer, JD Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (AQIPS) "We can create a safety culture by allowing health care professionals to share analysis on how to prevent medical incidents with absolute confidentiality and insulated from discovery in litigation."
Peggy Binzer serves as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, the nation’s leading professional association for PSOs and their healthcare provider members that leads efforts to measurably improve patient safety and the quality of patient care by fostering the ability of providers to implement a culture of safety and high reliability. Peggy spearheaded the crafting and passage of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA) while serving as senior health counsel for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. As a partner in several law firms, she assisted hospital and specialty physician associations, health systems, and management organizations in becoming patient safety organizations (PSOs), provided health systems, pharmacy chains, and other providers with legal guidance to improve the quality of patient care and implement the PSQIA's protections (Patient Safety Evaluation System). |