FREE POSTERS

Healthcare Whirlwind Model Posters

Patient safety incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions are constantly occurring within healthcare organizations, even if most go unreported. For years, healthcare has relied on the Iceberg Model to illustrate that the visible problems are only the "tip of the iceberg," while the majority remain hidden beneath the surface.

At ADNPSO, we’ve taken this model further by flipping it upside down to create the Whirlwind Model, designed to operationalize the complexities of patient safety. The Whirlwind Model provides a comprehensive visual of the key functions, compliance efforts, and collaborative processes that must be aligned to deliver safe patient care.

Unlike a linear path from admission to discharge, patients encounter countless interactions with healthcare professionals and navigate thousands of process steps, each presenting opportunities for errors and defects. By embracing this complexity and executing coordinated, well-designed care strategies, organizations can effectively reduce patient risk and harm. A critical step in this process is properly categorizing patient safety data and uncovering the root causes of systemic issues, as highlighted in our patient safety data analysis article.

Ready to implement these insights into your organization’s safety strategy? Download the Healthcare Whirlwind Model Posters to visualize and communicate the steps necessary for safer, more coordinated care. Start leveraging these tools to reveal and address hidden risks in your facility’s processes today.