Analyse human factors principles and their impact on behaviour, safety, and performance in health and social care:

Introduction to human factors and ergonomics in healthcare
Core principles: communication, teamwork, situational awareness, decision-making, workload, fatigue, and stress
Human limitations and cognitive biases
Safety culture and just culture
Role of leadership and supervision in promoting safe practice
Case studies of adverse events and near misses
Application of human factors to improving patient/service user safety

Evaluate the complex interplay of organisational, environmental, and systemic determinants of human performance and error:

Theories of human error (e.g. active vs latent failures)
Organisational culture and its influence on behaviour and safety
Impact of staffing levels, workload, shift patterns, and resource constraints
Environmental design, equipment usability, and ergonomics
Policy, governance, and regulatory influences
Communication systems and multidisciplinary working
Critical evaluation of real-world examples of system failure in health and social care
Understanding accountability within complex systems

Apply systems models to analyse complex professional practice issues and inform evidence-based improvements:

Introduction to systems thinking in health and social care
Overview of systems models (e.g. Swiss Cheese Model, SEIPS, socio-technical systems theory)
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and incident investigation frameworks
Human Factors Analysis and Classification Systems (HFACS)
Quality improvement methodologies (e.g. PDSA cycles)
Using data and evidence to inform service improvement
Developing recommendations for safer practice
Reflective application to professional practice scenarios

Assignment 1

Report 1750 words

Weighting 70%

You are required to produce a 1750-word academic report that critically analyses human factors principles and their impact on behaviour, safety, and performance within a health and social care field of your choice (for example: nursing, mental health services, social work, emergency care, residential care, surgery, community health, etc.).

Your report must be grounded in real-life case study events and supported by relevant academic literature.

Rationale: This assessment enables you to apply theoretical knowledge of human factors to real-world health and social care contexts, demonstrating how these principles influence behaviour, safety, and performance. By critically analysing a case study, you will develop your ability to integrate evidence from academic literature with practical examples, enhancing your evaluative and reflective skills. The task also cultivates professional insight and analytical thinking, preparing you to identify and address human factors challenges in practice.

Assignment 2

Case Study Application 1250 words

Weighting 30%

You will be given a case study of a process within health / social care. There will be two case studies for you to choose from, and they will be supplied by your academic team. You need to apply a recognised systems model e.g. SEIPS / Swiss Cheese to one of the case studies to analyse the process and suggest improvements.

Rationale: This assessment allows you to apply systems thinking to a real-world health or social care process, using recognised models to critically analyse workflow, safety, and performance. It develops your ability to identify process improvements and make evidence-informed recommendations that enhance practice and service quality.

This module will be delivered through a mix of interactive lectures, case study analyses, and applied workshops to engage you in real-world health and social care scenarios. You will participate in group discussions, simulation exercises, and problem-solving activities to explore human factors and systems thinking in practice. Independent study, including critical reading of academic literature and reflection on case studies, will develop your analytical and evaluative skills, while supervised project work and feedback sessions will support the application of theory to practice and evidence-based improvement strategies.

1. Analyse human factors principles and their impact on behaviour, safety, and performance in health and social care.

Knowledge and Understanding
Critical Reasoning and Collaboration

2. Critically evaluate the complex interplay of organisational, environmental, and systemic determinants of human performance and error, drawing on relevant theory in health and social care.

Leadership and Management
Application and Problem Solving

3. Apply systems models to analyse complex professional practice issues and inform evidence-based improvements in health and social care.

Application and problem-solving
Research Skills

Simulation facilities e.g. wards and non-clinical settings like a person’s home.

Ackbarally, A. and Paton, C. (eds.) (2024) Human Factors for Healthcare: A Guide for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals. Elsevier, London.

The aim of the book is to support understanding of human factors and the role they play in quality and safety. It will help the reader identify risks, understand human error, and develop non-technical skills (social, cognitive and personal) that will support them in their practice across a range of clinical environments.

Wiggins, M.W. (2022) Introduction to Human Factors for Organisational Psychologists. Routledge, Abingdon.

This book provides a range of tools necessary for the application of human factors strategies and techniques in practice.

Sujan, M., Pickup, L., Vosper, H. and Catchpole, K. (2025) Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health and Social Care: An Applied Approach. Class Professional Publishing, Bristol.

If you are responsible for implementing Human Factors and Ergonomics programmes within a health and social care setting – or if you just want to understand more about how the principles of human factors might apply to your role – this practical introduction will help you navigate your way around Human Factors and Ergonomics approaches within the healthcare setting.

Anderson, J.E. and Ross, A. (2021) Human Factors Applications of Simulation (Chapter in Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Improving Healthcare Systems). Springer, Cham.

Co-authored by our own Professor of Health Systems, Dr. Al Ross, this chapter explores how the knowledge, tools and methods of Human Factors and Ergonomics could be used to inform the design of simulated practice to include a systems approach.

Wallace, B. and Ross, A. (2006) Beyond Human Error: Taxonomies and Safety Science. London: CRC Press.

Also co-authored by Dr. Ross, this book deconstructs the conventional concept of human error and provides a whole new way of looking at accidents and how they might be prevented. It provides an introduction to this key field as well as a broad background to the subject.

How do small human errors turn into big risks—and how can systems thinking make care safer?

This module dives into the principles of human factors and systems thinking in health and social care, exploring how behaviour, environment, and organisational structures shape safety and performance. You will analyse key concepts such as communication, teamwork, decision-making, workload, and safety culture, and see how they directly impact professional practice and outcomes for service users.

Through real-world case studies and relevant theory, you will examine how individual actions, organisational systems, and wider policy interact to contribute to error and risk. The module emphasises applying systems models and quality improvement approaches to tackle complex practice challenges. By the end, you will have the analytical and practical skills to drive safer, more effective, evidence-based care.