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WIU Nursing Faculty Member Expands Patient Safety Expertise Through TeamSTEPPS Training

November 13, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University nursing instructor Ashley Frederick, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ, CPPS, recently participated in TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer training in Chicago, further strengthening her expertise in healthcare communication, teamwork and patient safety.

TeamSTEPPS® (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) is an evidence-based teamwork framework originally developed through a collaboration between the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen communication, teamwork and patient safety across healthcare settings.

The training was supported through Frederick's $15,000 Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Faculty Fellowship grant, awarded earlier this year. Her fellowship project focuses on developing a practical, evidence-based Root Cause Analysis (RCA) toolkit to help frontline healthcare leaders, particularly those in rural and resource-limited settings, identify contributing factors to patient safety events and implement meaningful improvements.

"Effective communication and teamwork are foundational to safe patient care," Frederick said. "TeamSTEPPS offers practical, evidence-based strategies that complement quality improvement and patient safety efforts. I'm excited to build on this training and explore opportunities to apply these approaches through education, research, and collaboration with healthcare partners."

The training complements Frederick's ongoing work in healthcare quality improvement, patient safety, and nursing education. It also provides additional opportunities to integrate teamwork and communication strategies into her broader patient safety initiatives, including the development of the RCA Frontline Toolkit.

Through continued professional development and collaboration, Frederick hopes to contribute to efforts that strengthen patient safety practices, enhance nursing students' understanding of quality improvement and patient safety, and support healthcare professionals across rural communities.

To learn more about WIU's nursing program, visit wiu.edu/nursing.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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