I See JCAHO People.....

[CareBayer]

Joint commission (a.k.a. JC....might as well be Jesus himself) is at our facility this entire week. Everyone's panties are in a bunch and I'm new....so everyone is drilling me about everything that JC may want to ask me if I'm on the floor.

I'm tired of scurrying around like a frightened mouse........I wish they would get to OUR unit already!!!

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

We are expecting them soon, also. This is my first time dealing with them as a nurse, and while I am a bit nervous, I have a mental thing that I will block them away from me. Childish and unrealistic, I know. But, I want them to go away as well.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I can understand JCAHO's need to accredit hospitals. However, I briefly worked at a JCAHO accredited nursing home, and that was an unrealistic living hell on earth.

It meant more paperwork added to my load of 67 patients during the night shift. It meant that I had to track down another nurse to verify how much insulin I was giving to twenty or so diabetics. JCAHO works well to ensure minimum standards for acute care hospitals, but it is so unrealistic in the realm of LTCFs, when you have too many patients to actually meet their standards.

[Sue Damonas, BSN]

When I worked in the hospital and they were making a visit we couldn't have our phlebotomy and IV start baskets. We had to hand carry everything in the rooms to start IVs or draw blood. Of course our supply room was not centrally located so we were constantly going from one end of the hall to the other.:angryfire

[mgababyko]

JCAHO was in our facility recently. My pt's chart got audited and I had to stay 1hr w/ a surveyor. She had the chart and asked me questions. These are some important points:

- document, document, document!

- orders have to be timed, readback and verified (verbal orders)

- document pt. teaching/ education

- advance directives (if pt. don't have one, offer them help to get one)

- timeliness of implementing orders, reporting criticals to MD

- med- reconciliation

etc.,etc.-

MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE YOUR ADMISSION ASSESSMENTS AND PAPERWORK! and KNOW your patients.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

JCAHO was in our facility recently. My pt's chart got audited and I had to stay 1hr w/ a surveyor. She had the chart and asked me questions. These are some important points:

- document, document, document!

- orders have to be timed, readback and verified (verbal orders)

- document pt. teaching/ education

- advance directives (if pt. don't have one, offer them help to get one)

- timeliness of implementing orders, reporting criticals to MD

- med- reconciliation

etc.,etc.-

MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE YOUR ADMISSION ASSESSMENTS AND PAPERWORK! and KNOW your patients.

Great advice. Mine is remain calm and always make sure your cart is locked and your MAR is closed. Never leave pills at a bedside, even if you are just going into their bathroom to get their teeth.

[Sunflowerinsc, ADN, RN]

Never leave pills at a bedside, even if you are just going into their bathroom to get their teeth.

LOVE THAT 'just going to get their teeth" !!!!!!!!! Somehow things like that are not factored in by the JACHO people (or management that schedules staffing)

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

JACHO is like a problem family with 8 members there at the same time asking for us to give quality care to everyone and extra quality care to them. They take away from patient care time then criticize us as nurses for not caring for the patients properly. I never mind one of them shadowing me as I am comfortable with the care and med passes. I mind the ones who interfere with my routine by stopping and asking me if I washed my hands prior to giving eye meds(I did that before and after as always, I don't want pink eye), how do I secure the med cart(I just did that). I can't entertain them with a verbal review and stay focused on my patients.

[Dorito, ASN, RN]

Stay calm. Wash your hands when you go into the room and when you leave. They are watching that closely. We had a survey last Fall and it went pretty well but they did observe someone that didn't wash their hands walking in a room. The surveyors themselves seemed pretty nice. Good luck- you'll do fine. Just know a good resource if you can't answer the questions they ask.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Love the title of this...I laughed so hard!

Anywhooooo..the thing that gets me...and this may be new info for folks...is that this organization is hired by your facility in order to have the 'status' of their consultation. Therefore, your work facility has PAID for them because of the will for a certain 'status' (like Magnet), and therefore actually spent money on making everyone a nervous wreck! LOL!!!!!!!

Now yes, they are the top most consulting team, endorsed by the Federal Government who will be the death of your facility if things are don't correctly..but still, wish I had thought of that idea of consulting hospitals under a federal endorsement...I could have made millions!

I can see it now...pay 1 million to my consultation team and I will not tell the government the screw ups you have done while also helping you to make sure your are 'compliant', stress out your staff, re-organize and confuse everything...and call it TRIAGE accreditation! LOL!!!!!

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

:chair:

Try hiding...I spend a lot of time in the supply room when they are around.

[DebRN06]

They're at our facility all week, too...and yes, panties are all in a bunch. My favorite part is how CLEAN the unit is...I never knew housekeeping had so many employees...or that they did anything more than coffee-clutch in the cafeteria. It's nice to see people actually doing their jobs. I also saw our director...I thought she had somehow become locked in her office or she had died!!