Mental Health CE Courses

Medical Errors in Psychology: Florida Laws, Risk Management and Patient Safety

Dr. Elizabeth Ruegg

2 hours

Errors in psychological practice don’t announce themselves the way a surgical complication might. There’s rarely a moment of obvious, immediate consequence — instead, things tend to unravel slowly: a diagnosis that never quite fit, a risk assessment that missed something, a record that captured the session but not the reasoning behind it. By the time harm becomes visible, the contributing factors are often far behind us.

This program takes a direct look at how errors happen in psychological practice, why they happen, and what practitioners can actually do about them. It covers the regulatory landscape Florida psychologists are required to understand, the cognitive and systemic forces that shape clinical judgment, and the concrete strategies — in assessment, documentation, communication, and consultation — that reduce the likelihood of errors reaching patients.

The content draws on patient safety research, clinical psychology literature, Florida statute and administrative rule, and the APA Ethics Code. Rather than treating these as separate bodies of knowledge, this program weaves them together in the way a working psychologist actually encounters them: simultaneously, and in the context of real clinical decisions. Case illustrations grounded in outpatient, inpatient, and telehealth settings are used throughout to connect principle to practice.

This course satisfies the two-hour medical errors continuing education requirement for Florida-licensed psychologists under Rule 64B19 of the Florida Administrative Code.

Course Creation Date: 4/1/2026

This course will award 2 continuing education hours.

Please see the board approval box for course approvals.

Define medical errors within psychological practice and identify the most common error types, including diagnostic failures, risk assessment gaps, documentation deficiencies, and breakdowns in clinical communication.
Analyze the root causes of clinical errors using both systems-based frameworks and cognitive bias models, and explain why individual blame alone is an insufficient error-prevention strategy.
Apply root cause analysis methodology to clinical scenarios to identify contributing factors at multiple levels and develop actionable prevention strategies.
Describe the Florida statutory and administrative provisions governing medical errors in psychological practice, including Chapters 456 and 490, Florida Statutes, and Rule 64B19.
Select and implement evidence-based strategies for reducing clinical errors across the domains of assessment, documentation, risk management, and interdisciplinary coordination.
Critically evaluate their own documentation practices, clinical decision-making habits, and risk assessment protocols in light of the standards and strategies presented in this program.

Dr. Elizabeth Ruegg, LCSW

Dr. Elizabeth Ruegg is a faculty member in the MSW program at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. She completed an undergraduate degree at Marymount College and earned an MSW at Fordham University. She completed her doctoral training at Simmons University in Massachusetts. Her doctoral research focused on the mechanisms of effectiveness in canine-assisted psychotherapy. She is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified addictions professional, a clinical traumatologist, a college and university suicide prevention specialist, a certified animal-assisted intervention specialist, and a certified animal-assisted psychotherapist. Dr. Ruegg authors a monthly blog on Psychology Today about animal-assisted psychotherapy.

Board Approvals

National Approvals

Approval for this course applies only to the national boards listed below.

American Psychological Association (APA)

BaysideCEU is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Bayside Continuing Education maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Information

Relevance: This course is designed for licensed psychologists (Ph.D. and Psy.D.) practicing in Florida who are required to complete medical error training for licensure renewal. It is particularly relevant for clinicians in independent practice, healthcare systems, and telehealth settings seeking to strengthen risk management, enhance clinical decision-making, and ensure compliance with Florida laws and professional standards governing psychological services.
Content Level: Intermediate
Course Format: This course is offered as a self-paced distance learning format (reading-based online activity)
System Requirements: This course is offered online. Internet connection required.
Course Completion Information: To earn continuing education credit, professionals must register and pay the fee for the course. They must read the content and demonstrate understanding by earning a minimum score of 70 percent on testing materials. The certificate of completion will be able to be downloaded after the above is completed. Refunds will be granted upon request with the withdrawal of credit for the course. For questions, concerns, or to request special accommodations, please call 866-863-4225 or email ContactUs@BaysideCEU.com.
CEBroker Course ID: NA
Credit Hours: 2

Dr. Elizabeth Ruegg

2 hours

This course is designed for licensed psychologists (Ph.D. and Psy.D.) practicing in Florida who are required to complete medical error training for licensure renewal. It is particularly relevant for clinicians in independent practice, healthcare systems, and telehealth settings seeking to strengthen risk management, enhance clinical decision-making, and ensure compliance with Florida laws and professional standards governing psychological services.