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CPSI Share                                                                

Looking for innovative, engaging ideas for Canadian Patient Safety Week (CPSW) activities and events? Here’s a list to get you started.

Have a great idea you’d like to share with others? Simply email CPSW@cpsi-icsp.ca with a brief description of your activities or events. Feel free to submit photos, links to websites, or PDF files to help illustrate your idea. Remember, together we can do big things! 

Activity/Event Suggestions… / What you’ll need…

Prepare a patient safety week display
  • A display board (i.e. Bristol board)
  • A table (don’t forget to book space at your site)
  • A high traffic area (you want to attract as much attention as possible!)
  • Canadian Patient Safety Week poster as a backdrop for your display. See the Tools & Resources page for downloadable options or visit the CPSW online store to order yours.
  • Handouts – such as the CPSW tip sheets, information on your local initiatives and the 5 Questions to Ask one pagers.
  • Promotional items, such as CPSW pens, stickers, and notepads are available from the CPSW online store.
  • Energetic volunteers to man (or woman!) the booth. Volunteers can share information with people walking by, discuss the importance of hand hygiene, medication reconciliation, etc. and give out promotional items to interested patients and staff.
  • You may consider offering a door prize in order to attract people to your booth. You’ll need small sheets of paper for people to write their information on and a box to collect the ballots and to use for the draw.

Movie break
  • Use a computer & projector or DVD player to show short videos to staff or patients.  Visit the Patient and Family Stories page for a selection of short videos.
  • Consider offering a livestream of "Falling Through the Cracks: Greg's Story" and invite your guests to follow the Twitter Talk afterwards.
  • Don’t forget the popcorn – an easy way to draw a crowd!
“Room of Horrors”
  • Simulate a patient room with “errors” or potential risks throughout. Invite staff, patients or visitors to identify the errors or risks as well as possible solutions.
  • Offer prizes for participants.
Play patient safety games or quizzes

  • You can play the Patient Safety Quiz online by visiting www.asklistentalk.ca

  • Offer prizes for participants who get the most answers right, or complete a quiz or game the fastest.
  • Use CPSW games and quiz formats to create your own games and quizzes.
Brown-bag lunch sessions
  • Pick patient safety topics to discuss throughout the week
  • Bring in speakers or have staff from your site give a presentation.
Demonstrate proper hand-washing techniques
  • Bring attention to all the hand cleaning stations around your site.
  • Do demonstrations on how to properly clean your hands. (washing and rubbing techniques)
Invite patients & family members to ask, listen, and talk
  • Create an open environment for patients or family members to ask questions.
  • Let patients know that they can feel comfortable asking their health care professionals to clean their hands.
Create awareness about patient safety initiatives your site is involved in
  • Your staff may be aware of the importance of patient safety initiatives at your site, but do your patients?
  • Give a presentation to patients/clients about patient safety initiatives at your site and what you’re doing to make their care safer.
  • Provide suggestions on what they can do to help keep them safe, such as knowing their medications, understanding the importance of hand hygiene, or potential hazards or risks for falls, etc.