At the Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), we are committed to preparing our students and faculty with the skills required to lead transformative change in healthcare. Recently, this commitment was strengthened through a partnership with Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center's Lean Department, which introduced Lean Six Sigma (LSS) principles to both our faculty and students. This collaboration is equipping nurses with the tools to become problem-solvers and change agents, ensuring that healthcare delivery is not only efficient but also cost-effective and patient-centered.
Lean Six Sigma, a methodology historically used in industries such as manufacturing and business, has made a significant impact on healthcare by reducing inefficiencies, enhancing patient safety, and streamlining workflows. Nurses trained in Lean Six Sigma are skilled at identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and waste in areas such as hospital workflows, medication administration, and discharge processes. By using data-driven decision-making, these nurses help healthcare facilities improve patient outcomes while reducing costs.
“In healthcare organizations, inefficiencies lead to higher costs, longer patient wait times, and wasted resources,” said Whitnie Willis, assistant professor at AUCON. “By integrating Lean Six Sigma principles into nursing education, AUCON will graduate nurses capable of improving processes, reducing costs, and enhancing patient care. AUCON will include an LSS Yellow Belt class in the fourth semester, benefiting individual facilities and strengthening the healthcare system as a whole,” Willis added.
