Two healthcare experts from the North-West University (NWU) shared their insights during a workshop that was recently held at the Witrand Psychiatric Hospital in an attempt to raise awareness on quality and safety in healthcare.

Dr Sabelile Tenza, a specialist in healthcare quality and patient safety, and Dr Petronella Lunda, a maternal and neonatal health expert, led the workshop. Both experts serve as researchers at the NuMIQ research entity, which forms part of the Faculty of Health Sciences. The workshop aimed at educating hospital staff on the fact that everyone working at the hospital, regardless of role, plays a part in shaping the patient's experience.

Under the theme "I am the experience of care", the workshop encouraged hospital employees to become more conscious of their daily actions and how these actions impact patients. To improve the patient experience, not only doctors and nurses should work together, but also all staff members – from administrators to cleaners.

The sessions utilised global approaches on patient care and customised them for the specific conditions in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on the unique context at Witrand. Dr Tenza expressed her pride in making a direct contribution to a clinical setting.

“It was a great privilege to be part of this innovative workshop, sharing key lessons with teams as a healthcare quality and safety specialist. I always enjoy working directly in the clinical environment. Patient safety is everyone’s business. As academics it is critical for us to find the means to translate our complex research into information that can be used, and to empower teams, and collectively build positive experiences of care for the public. We would like to thank the leadership of Witrand Hospital for inviting us.”

In turn, Dr Lunda also commended the enthusiasm of the event. “I found the discussions to be quite enlightening. The encouraging response from teams and the involvement from leadership was uplifting,” she stated.

Attending workshops like these is good for both non-medical employees and healthcare workers. They help employees remember why they are doing what they are doing and remind everyone that safety and quality are team efforts.

Dr Sabelile Tenza

Dr Petronella Lunda