jcaho coming

z's playa · Dec 25, 2004

Gee...I wish i could help you but I actually had no idea "they" came around and quizzed people. The best I can do is "bump" this and hope you get some answers. Sounds stressful to say the least. Let me know what happens when they come. Can you really just call in sick those days?

Merry Xmas! :icon_cool

TaraER-RN · Dec 25, 2004

I hate it when JHACO comes to town...as do all nurses...all it does is gets the management all over you! We just went through our survey and yes management tells you a bunch of stuff you need to know, but the truth is, they 1) will ask you things that you already know, or 2) you can always say "I don't know the answer to that question, but I know where to find it" and say that your manager and/or charge nurse is available, or the answer is in the manuals at your nurses station etc...just don't lie!!!! They'll get you for that...and just remember, they can not interupt patient care, so just stay busy!!!!!

bellcollector · Dec 25, 2004

Just be honest, it is fine to say you don't know but will find out the answer. Remember your 5 rights during med pass, check the expiration date on each pkg if you have those individual packets of meds. Keep a med book on your cart so if they ask you what a drug is for you can look it up that is also acceptable. If they follow you on a med pass they know you will be nervous just try to relax and remember we are all human including the surveyors. You will do fine, don't call off you will feel better getting it done and over with and finding out you can survive it.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Dec 25, 2004

The last hospital I worked at gave out questions and answers. They were pretty simple, but we were nervous and it was nice to be able to look that over, just in case.

I didn't get to work the shift they hit my unit, so I was a little disappointed, in a way. I was all ready!

But they are much more interested in how you do things on a daily basis: that your unit is safe for patients, documentation is done appropriately, that sort of thing.

If you just take it easy and do your job, you and your hospital will do fine!

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Dec 25, 2004

We just had JCAHO in a couple of months ago. Your supervisors and managers will not let you be unprepared. You will be given many reference sheets and be verbally reviewed until you are prepared. One thing they wanted to do on our unit was interview the least experienced and most experienced RN's on the unit. It was quite rattling for the new grad, but she did just fine with the interview though she was so nervous she had to go home afterwards.

One thing they seem very focused on this year is unapproved abbreviations. We did very well on the rest of the survey.

One more piece of advice. . . When the worst of the craziness is in swing and the survey team is in town and you want to strangle your manager because every minute they come up with a new "rule" that is completely different than how things have been done for years and they hand you one more list of things to clean and you can't believe the silliness of a survey that evaluates a hospital as it never is except for every 2-3years. . . . . . . . Just remember. . . They will be gone in a couple of days and everything will be back to normal.

unknown99, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2004

My feeling is that if everyone is doing what they are suppose to be doing, then there will be no problem. I have been an LPN for 19 years, and am now an RN, and I have followed this philosophy the whole time. We always get good results.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2004

I will echo what others have said. The most important answer if you don't know something is...I don't know that, but I know where to find the answer, i.e. policy manuals, charge nurse, pharmacist, etc. Chances are you will never talk with or even see a surveyer. In 30+ years, I have been asked questions 2 times, once was did I know how to report a fire and where was the fire extinguisher, and the other was how did I know that the staff I worked with were "competant" to do their job. The answer included things such as pre hire screening, checking references, drug tests etc., orientation, ACLS, CPR certifications, licenses, ongoing QI and education. That was what they wanted.

I did however have a more interesting encounter with them several years ago. I was a brand new travel nurse in a new hospital, my 2nd week, when the JCAHO physician presented to the ER with chest pain. So who gets to be his nurse??? The new traveler. I was terrified that I would screw it up for the whole hospital. Of course, uncomplicated chest pains are pretty "cookie cutter" so I was in luck. But I had to do the assessment, start the IV, give meds, etc. I even had to do some teaching as he asked a surprising number of questions that you would expect of a non medical person....guess this was his first encounter with chest pain! Fortunately, it turned out to be benign and he was released with a diagnosis of reflux. But I was on pins and needles the whole time!

Good luck and relax, you probably will never see a soul.

schroeders_piano, RN · Dec 26, 2004

We had our JCAHO inspection last month. It was nothing at all. The inspectors went to each of our patient care units, they pulled a chart, and talked with one the nurses taking care of that patient. They asked questions about things going on with the patient and asked you to show them were it was in the patient's chart. They were very nice. They can interupt patient care. They walk to whatever nurse they have selected to talk with and asked them to finish their current task and then sign off their patient's to another nurse. As I said earlier, the were very nice and veru non-threating.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2004

I agree, know your chart, where to find things in the chart, and most of all if you dont know, know how to find out. We had a dry run the week before and they had someone come in and go through a "mock" survey. I spent an hour with it. I was lucky and wasnt there when they rounded on my floor but i would have been ready. Dont let it stress ya to much. They wont lose accreditation just because someone doesnt know the answer to one question. It will fall to administration to make sure people are taught what they dont know.

sharann, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2004

JCAHO makes me very angry. The whole concept. If things are done right all along then there is no need for this hysteria before they come. It's all about money and politics. People who are so far away from patient care keep coming up with rules for us to follow. Usually this just means more paperwork to take away from patient care. I never saw them bust us for our deplorable staffing.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2004

Sharann, I couldn't agree more! I was a traveler at a hospital last year that had the most dangerous staffing ratios I had ever seen. I left after one contract because I was afraid for my license. Yet, JCAHO came while I was there, and they passed with commendation. We couldn't figure out who paid off who...what a racket!