Ivan McCann
Ivan McCann is a quality and patient safety advisor and former critical care paramedic. He is a scholar of the RCSI MSc in Human Factors in Patient Safety.
What is unique about the PG Dip/MSc in Human Factors in Patient Safety?
I think the most unique thing about the course is that the content and information is applicable to any area of healthcare.
How has this programme enhanced your career?
The course has provided me with the additional tools, knowledge and experience to bring human factors in patient safety to the out-of-hospital healthcare arena, and as a direct result of the programme I have been able to take those concepts in the broader sense that might have been used in hospital and found ways to apply them in community healthcare and the broader hospital healthcare setting.
What’s one patient safety insight you now can’t imagine working without?
One major insight that has redefined how I work in patient safety is the concept of Safety I (learning from incidents and accidents) and Safety II (learning from how things go right in a variety of situations). These concepts, which I was introduced to in the programme, have fundamentally changed my approach to patient safety in healthcare. Using both Safety I and Safety II in tandem offers greater opportunity to learn from when things go wrong – but perhaps more importantly, when things go right in a complex and dynamic system like healthcare.
Tell me about a moment during the programme that changed how you see healthcare.
Very early on in the programme, we were introduced to the concept of healthcare as a complex socio-technical system. This concept reframed how I understood healthcare from simply a ward or department or service to a complex system comprised of people, tasks, goals, and equipment – all of which interact in ways that often go unseen.
What are you most proud of since completing the programme?
First, I’m most proud of the dissertation I completed in the programme. My goal was to conduct an expansive review, which in hindsight was quite a lofty goal. However, the programme faculty and my supervisor supported and guided me throughout the process and to completion.
Secondly, I’m very proud to now be in a position to support my colleagues in patient safety using the skills, knowledge and approaches I learned through the programme.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about doing this course?
I would encourage anyone who has an interest in patient safety or improving healthcare systems to take this course whether you are completing the PgDip or the master's: the course is relevant to every aspect of healthcare, regardless of where that healthcare is being delivered. The faculty are all fantastic, they are knowledgeable, and they are always available to support you every step of the way.
Watch Ivan McCann, panelist on the recent careers in Human Factors in Patient Safety webinar, give his thoughts on careers in human factors below.