Joint Commission is a Joke...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My Hospital has been preparing for the Joint Commission inspection. Frankly, it's pathetic. No saline locks in our pockets, no IV buckets left out on counters, nothing closer than 18 inches from ceiling. And, no concern regarding nurse/patient ratios of course.

Another self-important, entrenched, bureaucratic entity, that is impeding us in our work. People who have spent their time in academia, studying theory that was developed outside of the space/time continuum, in front of a computer spreadsheet. God save us all.

Specializes in ER.
OP, how did you arrive at the conclusion that Joint Commission surveyors are all "people who have spent their time in academia, studying theory that was developed outside the time/space continuum, in front of a computer spreadsheet"?

The surveyors are the foot soldiers. I'm referring to the people who develop rules like no saline flushes in pockets.

That edict totally lacks commonsense. It causes inconvenience for the nurse, and chisels another chip of time from patient care. Death by a thousand cuts is the end result of these types of rules.

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Pathetic is a good word for it, I like lame and useless myself.

Same old drill every year.... AND we have months to prepare for it." Okay kids, stop leaving meds laying around and keep those boxes off the shelves":facepalm:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
first of your hospital should be doing all these things JC or not.The buckets and saline locks are good nursing practice. nothing closer than 18 inches is a fire hazard and infection control issue. it is sad you are working in an unsafe setting and your management only puts on a dog and pony show that is not what JC is about.[/quote']

explain what is wrong with carrying flushes? I really don't understand that.

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JC is a joke- really! no saline flushes in your pocket?? Lets look at the big picture. They are more concerned with unopened saline flushes in your pocket than nurse to pt ratios! If they were truly looking out for the pt's best interest wouldn't they first tackle nurse to patient ratio? and don't even get me started on the advanced notice they give before the inspection. Its a scam.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

The OP said no "saline locks" in the pocket. That, to me, is different from "saline flush." However, when flushes, locks alcohol pads, and the list goes on and on, have to be locked up somewhere, this seriously impedes nursing care. Even if they are locked in each patient's room, there are times when digging for the key (which is also in that dirty pocket) is just a time-wasting exercise in silliness. Oh, I am so happy to be retired.

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OP, how did you arrive at the conclusion that Joint Commission surveyors are all "people who have spent their time in academia, studying theory that was developed outside the time/space continuum, in front of a computer spreadsheet"?

This photo was taken to show how filthy the floors were im my unit. It is a wet jet swiffer pad used on a area the size of a small closet. Joint Commission did their survey and apparently did not ding hospital because management hasn't felt compelled to do anything even after staff and patient complaints.

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Specializes in ER.
The OP said no "saline locks" in the pocket. That, to me, is different from "saline flush." However, when flushes, locks alcohol pads, and the list goes on and on, have to be locked up somewhere, this seriously impedes nursing care. Even if they are locked in each patient's room, there are times when digging for the key (which is also in that dirty pocket) is just a time-wasting exercise in silliness. Oh, I am so happy to be retired.

Whoops, I meant saline flushes. I think it's too late to edit.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Doesn't the hospital have to pay JC for the survey?

Why would JC find anything too wrong, when the person they're sanctioning, is the one who wrote the check?

I think my cynical side is showing.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
Doesn't the hospital have to pay JC for the survey?

Why would JC find anything too wrong, when the person they're sanctioning, is the one who wrote the check?

I think my cynical side is showing.

I believe you are correct, however, the hospital is required to have JC come in, and then also required to pay them. JC wins. And IMHO, JC is the perfect example of changes that have to be found "necessary" every time just to keep the people there employed. Some of the changes have nothing to do whatsoever with patient safety or that of the staff, for that matter.

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Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
I believe you are correct, however, the hospital is required to have JC come in, and then also required to pay them. JC wins. And IMHO, JC is the perfect example of changes that have to be found "necessary" every time just to keep the people there employed. Some of the changes have nothing to do whatsoever with patient safety or that of the staff, for that matter.

Actually no hospital is required to have TJC come in and inspect them. The hospital I work at only has TJC come in and inspect the lab. The rest of the hospital has CMS only come in. Why pay for TJC when CMS is coming in anway?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

JC knows everything is prettied up prior to their arrival and that everything goes back to the way it was prior because the way things are usually done is more efficient and makes more sense. At least much of the time. Not everything, but a lot of it.

An analogy, that every time I think of it, chaps my hide. A team leader on the floor was auditing charts for skin interventions. Every time I turned a patient, I documented in real time. So, sometimes the patient was turned an hour and 45 minutes after the last turn, and sometimes the patient was turned 2 hours and 11 minutes after the last turn. She called me over during the audit and said the patient wasn't turned every 2 hours, and that it needs to be documented at the top of every hour. I was working during a shift when the god awful CNAs were working. I opened the chart of another of my patients and showed her my turn documentation right next to the CNAs turn documentation, which was entered at the top of every hour. I showed her that the CNA was properly documenting, but I was the one who actually did the turns, which was documented in real time. (Apparently, the CNA was so dumb, that she didn't realize she was incriminating herself when she entered her never-done turns.) The reply? "Well, it needs to be done every two hours at the top of the hour." I told her I'm not going to falsify documentation and walked off.

The JC and the team leader have the same attitude, IMO. We know it's really not done this way, but you need to show us that you know the way it's supposed to be done, regardless of whether or not you really do it. Ridiculous.

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Curious about other people's rules, has anyone else recently changed over to sterile water for NG flushes? Is this because of the JC too?

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