Members Making a Difference

As the nation's first endowed patient safety chair in a school of nursing, AORN member Rod Hicks, PhD, RN, FNP-CS, is not only promoting patient safety, he's also shaping the way perioperative professionals learn to practice patient safety. 

Through his unique chair position, Hicks helps faculty at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) develop patient safety study programs and introduces students to the topic of patient safety. He also mentors staff at the University Medical Center Health System in Lubbock, Texas to instill patient safety in their practice.

"No patient should be harmed from receiving health care," said Hicks.

The $1 million endowed chair position, which he assumed in January, is jointly supported by UMC and TTUHSC."UMC is leading the nation is designing ways to reduce the opportunity for patient harm. It is an exciting time to be in Texas as we shape patient safety practice and education," he acknowledged.

But for Hicks, patient safety has been a long-time career focus.

Before taking his current position in academia, Hicks led major research studies in safe medication use as manager for patient safety research services at the Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety at U.S. Pharmacopeia. His findings have influenced patient safety standards and his mentoring has helped to support other researchers in developing important research findings.

For example, for several years Hicks worked closely with now retired U.S. Army Col. Linda Wanzer RN, MSN, CNOR, and her students at Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences. The efforts culminated in an award-winning research article in AORN Journal on medication errors with pediatric patients.

In his current research he is working with colleagues to continue addressing the dangers of medical errors and advance the science of perioperative care.

Hicks says AORN is an integral part of his professional life. "Through AORN I have been blessed to work with researchers and leaders in perioperative care from across the country. This kind of collaboration will help us to continue improving perioperative practice by gaining a better understanding for how to provide the safest care possible," he said.