Just Culture Courses

Learn how to foster an atmosphere in which healthcare workers feel safe to discuss errors and safety concerns without fear of blame.

A just culture is an atmosphere of trust in which healthcare workers are supported when something goes wrong with patient care.

Organizations with a just culture see errors as opportunities to learn and to improve the healthcare system. Healthcare workers trust their organization and feel that staff are treated fairly when they are involved in a patient safety event, including when they make an error.

A just culture promotes trust and safety with the assurance that accountability is assessed within the context of situations and system factors.

Learn more about just culture and how it can help your organization.

We are pleased to offer two just culture-related courses: Systematic Systems Analysis (SSA), and Just Individual Assessment (JIA). If you are interested in taking both courses, we recommend that SSA is taken as a pre-course to JIA.

Both courses are open to healthcare professionals, including point-of-care staff, educators, administrative and support staff, quality and patient safety professionals, leaders and anyone interested in creating a more just culture in their workplace.

Virtual or in-person organization-specific sessions can be arranged on request. Please note that there is a cost associated with the in-person session.

Course Information

Title: Systematic Systems Analysis (SSA)
Duration: 4.5 hours
Structure: 30 minutes of eLearning pre-work and a four-hour case study workshop
Format: In-person or virtual, No cost

Upcoming offerings:

  • 2025
    • January 21, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • March 11, 2025 from 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (MST)
    • May 6, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • September 17, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • November 19, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
  • 2026
    • January 22, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)

After this course, you will be able to:

  • use a consistent, systems-based approach for understanding patient safety incidents
  • look beyond the contribution of the individuals and consider how complex, interacting elements of the entire healthcare system can influence care
  • understand how the SSA fits into a just culture

Title: Just Individual Assessment (JIA)
Duration: 4.5 hours
Structure: 30 minutes of eLearning pre-work and a four-hour case study workshop
Format: In-person or virtual, No cost

Upcoming offerings:

  • 2025
    • February 11, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • April 1, 2025 from 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (MST)
    • June 4, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • October 15, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
    • December 3, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)
  • 2026
    • February 12, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (MST)

After this course, you will be able to:

  • use a standardized approach to evaluate the accountability of an individual involved in a patient safety event
  • consider the system factors that may have influenced individuals involved in patient safety events
  • determine whether restorative or disciplinary actions should be considered when an individual is involved in a patient safety event.  
  • understand how the JIA fits into a just culture.

How to register
For information on how to register as well as other details about these courses, please email info@hqca.ca.

Help us promote the course at your healthcare workplace
Email info@hqca.ca to request a poster to display at your workplace.

Additional Materials

SSA Patient Safety Review Guidebook

The SSA course will cover material in the SSA Patient Safety Review Guidebook.

Just Culture Resources Tool Directory

These tools are presented in the JIA course. The tools support a standardized approach to evaluate the accountability of an individual involved in a patient safety event.