Coaching for Quality in Texas Forensic Nursing Programs

The Texas Governor’s Office Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force (SASTF) has partnered with the Texas A&M Health Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing to implement a pilot program titled Coaching for Quality in Texas Forensic Nursing Programs.

These benchmarks were developed by the SASTF’s SANE and Forensic Expert Working Group to guide forensic nursing/SANE programs as they work to improve the quality of care delivered to patients presenting for post-sexual assault health care.

Coaching for Quality provides coaching and mentoring to SAFE-Ready programs, empowering leaders to navigate the complexities of program management and sustainability while delivering high-quality care. Forensic nursing coordinators are teamed with expert coaches who collaborate to create an action plan to meet the quality standards set by the task force. Two coaches, one with health care quality experience and one with forensic nursing management experience, aid the coordinator to develop an individualized, evidence-based action plan for the program and the leader.

The center is measuring the pilot program’s effectiveness through participation and implementation of changes at the SAFE-Ready sites. Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement (RCQI) through Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) is used to evaluate and implement changes at each pilot site. Three programs — a hospital-based SAFE-Ready program, a community-based SAFE-Ready program and a free-standing emergency department seeking SAFE-Ready status — serve as pilot sites for the program.

For more information or to inquire about becoming a site, contact us at forensicnursing@tamu.edu.