Stupid (or impossible) things Joint Commission has required

I am 'justavolunteer', so I can avoid a lot of the JCAHO nonsense (at least directly). There was one JCAHO visit where the nurses had to memorize the NPSG's for that particular year. They could ask a nurse "what's NPSG #7?" and she was supposed to rattle it off. Of course, the unit being short-staffed, nurses running like headless chickens trying to keep up with the workload, etc., never concerns JCAHO. Short-staffing has been shown to be a major cause of medication errors & other things that the NPSG's are supposed to address. JCAHO suddenly gets laryngitis whenever they are asked about such things.

The Joint Commission is a waste of money and energy. What was once a respected patient safety organization, has become a nightmare and a total beauracrazy (did i spell that right). When I work, I provide care to my patients and follow the important safety policies.
I will be honest here....

Two patient identifiers before providing care - Not usually

Wash hands each time before and after patient contact - No (handgel sanitizers are a gift from GOD)

Fall prevention - 2 Words - MORE STAFF!

Patient/Family Involvement - They are involved enough in my opinion

Identify Suicidal risk patients - Thats for social work and Psych - A patient like that on a medical floor needs to be D/C as soon as possible to a 5150 unit

on site Joint Commission surveys are a waste of time and a pain in the butt. Hallways need to be free of obstacles and carts due to fire escape....they then require all the carts and computers on wheels to the put in patient rooms. HELLO!!! The rooms are now impossible to get in and out of and patients are trapped...so what that the hallway is clutter free.
Also whiteboards in the rooms with RN, LPN, PCA names on it......Sorry cant help with chest compressions I have to write my name on the board.

Uggghh, JC burns me up. What gets me is- why the h*ll do we care what they think?! Their standards are absurd and INTERFERE, not enhance, patient care. I think if the general public knew about their ridiculous requirements and rules, then a JCAHO certified hospital would not sound like somewhere they would want to go! Do they realize their requirements are DRIVING nursing staff away?! Am I wrong?!?

I am pleased that the hospice agency I currently work for is NOT JCAHO certified!! They determined that it cost a bunch of money to be terrorized by crazy people who are charged with increasing their own usefulness by telling their clients how bad they are. THANK GOODNESS my agency realized that they did not NEED that certification to provide excellent care to hospice patients in their homes OR in our beautiful acute care residence.

I was criticized by a previous employer for not walking with and talking to a JCAHO surveyor a couple of years ago....she was apparently offended that I hurried ahead to the room of my pt...a 49 yr with a primary brain CA who was very private and dignified...I wanted to explain to her who the 3 people were who were going to be invading her space without her invitation or permission. I replied to my employer that my obligation is to my patient. I gave the JCAHO people the information they needed, my job is to take care of my patient, not entertain the surveyor, I was professional, courteous, and available...JCAHO is a JCAOKE.