JCAHO Suprise

Scavenger'sWife, RN · Apr 9, 2003

JCAHO is at our facility this week. I do wonder, tho, why we get them for all five days at Home Health & Hospice, when the hospital itself only has them for three days???????????????????

Also, to make it doubly nice, the State showed up, too.

Actually, it has been going pretty well. AND I got today off work unexpectedly. So I get to miss at least one day of the business.

deespoohbear · Apr 9, 2003

Originally posted by regnursein99
JCAHO is at our facility this week. I do wonder, tho, why we get them for all five days at Home Health & Hospice, when the hospital itself only has them for three days???????????????????

Also, to make it doubly nice, the State showed up, too.

Actually, it has been going pretty well. AND I got today off work unexpectedly. So I get to miss at least one day of the business.

Probably because of all the extra paperwork in Home Health & Hospice. I know I gripe about the paperwork in Med-Surg, but it is NOTHING compared to the paperwork for Home Health and Hospice. One of the reasons I DON'T go into Home Health & Hospice care.

Lucky you being off work today. I am hoping State shows up when I am off work for vacation in 2 weeks or they show up in June when I am off.

wolfie · Apr 9, 2003

"Medicare requires JCAHO accreditation. " This is a falsehood that has been perpetuated by hospital administrators and management. To have nursing personnel fall in line. Medicare/medicaid is a federal program and cannot require you to be accredited by a private organization. As long as you pass inspection by the state you may receive Medicare/medicaid payments. For the government to require a private organization , which charges you BIG BUCKS to be accredited is not lawful. I forgot the technical term. That is why a increasing amount of hospitals are dropping JACHO including VA hospitals. They told them they don't need them

rebel_red · Apr 9, 2003

Just curious...

I have worked LTC in two states CA and NJ. I have been through 26 surveys. (Used to go clean up provisional facilities.) At no time did state ever announce they were coming to survey. (Except when a facility was being liscenced or re-evaluated.) Yearly's were always on a surprise basis, though we had a rough idea as survey was usually the same time each year.

In what states do LTC's receive notice of survey?

Thanks

Tres

deespoohbear · Apr 9, 2003

State doesn't announce when they are coming to our hospital either. But it usually about the same time every year give or take 3 months. In the past our floor has never had any problem with state. They come up make sure the narcs are locked, audit a couple charts, and tour the unit. That is about it. I much rather deal with state than JACHO any day of the week.

RN auditor · Apr 9, 2003

I have worked as a floor nurse so I know the other end of the documentation dilemma. But now I am an auditor and I see the importance of the documentation reflecting a true and accurate picture of the condition of the patient and the care given. Society has made us so "sue-happy" that the only thing that will save us in a court of law is our documentation. Unfortunately, documentation is the only hard evidence of what we do. We need regulations to provide clear and measurable guidelines. I agree that many are very difficult to abide by and staffing in our facilities makes it difficult to appropriately chart and care for patients. I definitely see it from both sides............

Brita01 · Apr 9, 2003

Originally posted by Agnus
Documentation has to do with covering one's back side. Which would be much better covered by spending that time with the patient meet thier needs instead of documenting. We all know that because of the time required to document that everyday there are things that don't actually get done because of the over emphasis to do it on paper. That those things that are not required in documentation by may be even more important for the patient such as a human presence are neglected for the sake of documentation. Consequently we develop an attitude where we don't meet the patient needs because we are drained and burned on on documentation and the patient with thier needs is just one more demand.

I totally agree. This past Sunday when I worked a hospital shift, I was handed 2 "new pieces of paper that we have to fill out now." This was on each patient, in addition to the original paperwork, with the same patient load. How can they expect us to give quality care to the same number of patients while the paperwork keeps growing and growing....? Nursing note documention should be filled out properly. But when you start having a flowsheet for the IV pump and the TF pump and the wound vac machine, and having to document blood sugar results in 3 different places, etc. etc., it just gets to be ridiculous. How many frickin' times do I have to write down the same thing? Let me just document in my nursing notes and then leave me the hell alone so I can spend some time with my patients. Jeez!

nurse2002 · Apr 9, 2003

I also heard these visits are going to be unannounced. Its about time! I wont have to watch administration come in during "that week" running around at 0500 with thier hair still wet from showering yelling orders to "get ready" at the last minute. Now things that they are yelling about hopefully will be done ALL THE TIME. Thats how it should be. I see LOTS of worthless peeps in administration positions looking for new jobs in the future...........