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Patient Safety Department Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Collaborates with Quality, Risk Management, Infection Prevention, Nursing, Medical Staff, and other departments to address safety concerns. * Supports organizational compliance with CMS patient ...

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Patient Safety Department information

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$10

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How much do patient safety department jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for patient safety department in the United States is $19.15, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.90 and $20.19 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in a Patient Safety Department, and why are they important?

To excel in a Patient Safety Department, you need a solid background in healthcare quality, risk management, and regulatory compliance, often supported by a degree in nursing, public health, or a related field. Familiarity with incident reporting systems, root cause analysis tools, and certifications such as Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) are highly valuable. Strong analytical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills help drive safety initiatives and foster a culture of continuous improvement. These skills and credentials are essential for identifying risks, implementing solutions, and ensuring the highest standards of patient care and organizational safety.

What jobs pay $2000 a day?

In the Patient Safety Department, high-paying roles such as senior safety consultants or healthcare risk managers can sometimes earn around $2,000 per day, especially with extensive experience, specialized certifications, and in high-demand healthcare settings. These positions often require advanced knowledge of healthcare regulations, risk assessment, and strong analytical skills.

What are the 5 P's of patient safety?

The 5 P's of patient safety are Purpose, Patient, Place, Person, and Procedure. They serve as a framework for healthcare professionals, including those in patient safety departments, to ensure comprehensive safety practices and effective communication in clinical settings.

What is a patient safety job?

A patient safety job involves monitoring and improving healthcare practices to prevent errors and ensure patient well-being. Roles often include analyzing incident reports, developing safety protocols, and collaborating with healthcare teams, requiring strong attention to detail and knowledge of healthcare standards.

What is the Patient Safety Department?

The Patient Safety Department is a specialized unit within healthcare organizations focused on identifying, preventing, and reducing risks that could harm patients during their care. This department develops and implements policies, conducts staff training, and monitors incidents to promote a culture of safety. Its primary goal is to ensure that patients receive safe, high-quality care by continuously improving healthcare processes and systems. The Patient Safety Department often collaborates with other departments to investigate adverse events and implement best practices. Ultimately, it plays a crucial role in safeguarding patient well-being and improving overall healthcare outcomes.

What is the difference between Patient Safety Department vs Patient Safety Coordinator?

AspectPatient Safety DepartmentPatient Safety Coordinator
CredentialsVaries; often includes healthcare management or safety certificationsTypically requires healthcare-related certifications or training
Work EnvironmentHospital or healthcare facility-wide, overseeing safety protocolsDepartmental role within healthcare settings, focusing on safety initiatives
Employer & Industry UsageUsed across hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizationsCommonly employed within healthcare facilities to support safety programs
Search & Comparison IntentHigh overlap in safety responsibilities and healthcare focusOften compared due to similar safety-related duties

The Patient Safety Department is a broad organizational unit responsible for hospital-wide safety policies, while the Patient Safety Coordinator typically handles specific safety initiatives within the department. Both roles focus on improving patient safety but differ in scope and level of responsibility.

What is the highest paid safety job?

In the patient safety field, senior roles such as Patient Safety Director or Chief Safety Officer tend to have the highest salaries, often exceeding $150,000 annually. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and often certifications in healthcare safety or quality management.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in a Patient Safety Department, and how are they typically addressed?

Professionals in a Patient Safety Department often encounter challenges such as promoting a culture of safety, ensuring effective communication across multidisciplinary teams, and analyzing complex incidents to identify root causes. Successfully addressing these challenges requires strong collaboration with healthcare staff, ongoing education on best practices, and the implementation of systematic reporting and feedback mechanisms. Team members regularly participate in safety huddles, incident reviews, and process improvement initiatives to foster continuous learning and enhance patient outcomes.
More about Patient Safety Department jobs
What states have the most Patient Safety Department jobs? States with the most job openings for Patient Safety Department jobs include:
Infographic showing various Patient Safety Department job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 63% Full Time, 31% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $39,824 per year, or $19.1 per hour.
Director Patient Safety - Patient Safety

Director Patient Safety - Patient Safety

Penn State Health

Hershey, PA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago


Penn State Health rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 241 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

403rd of 872 rated healthcare providers


Job description

Penn State Health - Hershey Medical Center
Location: US:PA: Hershey
Work Type: Full Time
FTE: 1.00
Shift: Day
Hours: Office Hours
Recruiter Contact: Taryn Blydenburgh at tblydenburgh@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
SUMMARY OF POSITION:
Lead patient safety at scale in one of the nation's most complex academic care environments. Join Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as Director of Patient Safety and drive enterprise-wide strategy across a Level I Trauma Center and academic medical center known for high-acuity, high-impact care. This is a highly visible leadership role for an experienced patient safety expert ready to influence outcomes, culture, and system performance. Reporting in close partnership with the Chief Quality Officer and collaborating with the Chief Medical Officer, this leader sets the strategic direction for the Department of Patient Safety-advancing a culture of safety, high reliability, and continuous learning across the organization. You will lead and evolve a comprehensive patient safety program, overseeing event review, root cause analysis (RCA), serious safety event reduction, and proactive risk identification. This role partners across clinical departments, nursing, medical staff, and executive leadership to drive alignment, accountability, and measurable improvement in patient outcomes. The Director will play a critical role in embedding Just Culture principles, strengthening safety behaviors, and building a system of sustained learning in collaboration with Human Resources and Learning & Leadership Development. This includes developing leaders at all levels to recognize risk, respond effectively, and continuously improve care delivery. This is an ideal opportunity for a patient safety leader with experience in complex or academic healthcare settings who excels in influencing physician-led environments, navigating matrixed systems, and translating data into action.
KEY IMPACT AREAS
Strategic Patient Safety Leadership Define and execute system-wide patient safety strategy aligned with organizational goals, regulatory standards, and high reliability principles. Culture of Safety & High Reliability Advance Just Culture, safety event reporting, and leader accountability to strengthen a transparent, learning-focused environment. Event Review & Risk Reduction Oversee RCA, event investigation, and harm reduction strategies to decrease serious safety events and improve patient outcomes. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with nursing, physicians, operations, and executive leadership to drive alignment and standardization across departments and service lines. System Learning & Leader Development Build infrastructure for sustained learning, integrating safety principles into leadership development and frontline practice.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Experienced healthcare leader with a background in:
  • Patient Safety, Quality, or Risk Management leadership
  • Academic medical centers or complex health systems
  • Event investigation, RCA, and safety program development
  • High Reliability Organization (HRO) and Just Culture frameworks
  • Influencing physician-led, matrixed organizations
  • Data-driven decision-making and performance improvement

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION(S):
  • Bachelor's degree required (clinical discipline strongly preferred).
  • Five (5) years of leadership or management experience.
  • Seven (7) years' related experience, of which three (3) years must be in a role focused on patient safety program development and/or implementation required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION(S):
  • Master's degree in healthcare administration, nursing, public health, quality, or related field.
  • Certification in Patient Safety (CPPS) or equivalent.
  • Experience in an academic medical center or teaching hospital.
  • Experience working with residency/fellowship programs or faculty governance structures.

WHY PENN STATE HEALTH?
Penn State Health offers exceptional opportunities to learn and grow, exposure to a wide patient population, and the ability to provide individualized, innovative, and specialized care to patients in the community.
Penn State Health offers an exceptional benefits package including medical, dental and vision with no waiting period as well as a Total Rewards Program that highlights a few of the many additional offerings below:
  • Be Well with Employee Wellness Programs, and Fitness Discounts (University Fitness Center, Peloton).
  • Be Balanced with Generous Paid Time Off, Personal Time, and Paid Parental Leave.
  • Be Secured with Retirement, Extended Illness Bank, Life Insurance, and Identity Theft Protection.
  • Be Rewarded with Competitive Pay, Tuition Reimbursement, and PAWS UP employee recognition program.
  • Be Supported by the HR Solution Center, Learning and Organizational Development and Virtual Benefits Orientation, Employee Exclusive Concierge Service for scheduling.

WHY PENN STATE HEALTH MILTON HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER?
Penn State Hershey Medical Center is Central Pennsylvania's only Academic Medical Center, Level 1 Regional Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, and Tertiary Care Provider. As a four-time Magnet-designated hospital, Hershey Medical Center values the hard work and dedication that our employees exhibit every day. Through our core values of Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence, our employees are a team committed to compassionate care for our diverse patient population, our community and each other. As a valued team member, we promote continued professional development, specialty certification, continuing education, and career growth.
YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU. State-of-the-art equipment, endless learning, and a culture of excellence - that's Penn State Health. But what makes our healthcare award-winning? That's all you.
This job posting is a general outline of duties performed and is not to be misconstrued as encompassing all duties performed within the position. Eligibility for shift differential pay based on the terms outlined in company policy or union contract. All individuals (including current employees) selected for a position will undergo a background check appropriate for the position's responsibilities.
Penn State Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected class including disability or veteran status. Penn State Health's policies and objectives are in direct compliance with all federal and state constitutional provisions, laws, regulations, guidelines, and executive orders that prohibit or outlaw discrimination.
Union: Non Bargained
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About Penn State Health

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Penn State Health is one of the leading teaching and research hospitals in the country. It is a multi-hospital health system, Academic Medical Center and Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center serving patients and communities across Central Pennsylvania. The system includes Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Children's Hospital, and Penn State Cancer Institute in scenic Hershey, PA. It also includes Penn State Health Saint Joseph's Medical Center in Reading, PA, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill, PA, and Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center in Enola, PA. Penn State Health shares an integrated strategic plan and operations with Penn State College of Medicine.

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Hershey, PA, US

Year founded

1963

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