Core CUSP Toolkit

Created for clinicians by clinicians, the CUSP toolkit is modular and modifiable to meet individual unit needs. Each module includes teaching tools and resources to support change at the unit level, presented through facilitator notes that take you step-by-step through the module, presentation slides, tools, videos.

Learn about CUSP

The Learn about CUSP module of the CUSP Toolkit offers an outline and brief history of the CUSP model, summarizes the CUSP Toolkit modules, and how to use them.

Assemble the Team

The Assemble the Team module of the CUSP Toolkit addresses CUSP team composition for your quality improvement initiative.

Engage the Senior Executive

The Engage the Senior Executive module of the CUSP Toolkit focuses on the role and responsibilities of the senior executive within the CUSP team. Engaging a senior executive to partner with a unit will bridge the gap between senior management and frontline providers and will facilitate a system-level perspective on quality and safety challenges that exist at the unit level.

Understand the Science of Safety

The Understand the Science of Safety module of the CUSP Toolkit discusses the importance of understanding system design, safe design principles, and valuing diverse input from team members. By analyzing patient safety as a science, frontline providers will provide a higher quality of patient-centered care on their hospital unit.

Identify Defects Through Sensemaking

The Identify Defects Through Sensemaking module of the CUSP Toolkit will help you identify recurring negative events in your system and apply CUSP and Sensemaking tools to help reduce the risk of future harm to your patients.

Implement Teamwork and Communication

The Implement Teamwork and Communication module of the CUSP Toolkit will help you to identify barriers to communication.

Apply CUSP

The Apply CUSP module of the CUSP Toolkit introduces Just Culture principles, which emphasize shared accountability and attitudes towards risk. This module also summarizes the concepts and activities of the other six modules in the CUSP Toolkit, including TeamSTEPPS® communication tools.

The Role of the Nurse Manager

The Role of the Nurse Manager module of the CUSP Toolkit addresses the role of nursing leaders for your quality improvement initiative.

Spread

The Spread module of the CUSP Toolkit helps an organization share, tailor, and implement the components of a process that have worked well at the unit level. The other CUSP Toolkit modules focus on quality improvement projects at the unit level, where culture is local. This module explores how to take the work from the unit level to the organization level.

Patient and Family Engagement

The Patient and Family Engagement module of the CUSP Toolkit focuses on making sure patients and their family members understand what is happening during the patient's hospital stay, are active participants in the patient's care, and are prepared for discharge.

Internet Citation: Core CUSP Toolkit. Content last reviewed December 2017. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/education/curriculum-tools/cusptoolkit/modules/index.html