Last week, Wrongway Regional Medical Center (WRMC) had a Joint Commission survey. The surveyors found ligature points, being chairs, in the community room. A ligature point is defined as "A feature in an environment which could be used to support a noose or other strangulation device (especially, for the purpose of attempting to commit suicide)".
Joint Commission has ruled that patient care areas are to be “Without points where a cord, rope, bedsheet, or other fabric/material can be looped or tied to create a sustainable point of attachment that may result in self-harm or loss of life.”
The area of concern Joint Commission found was that the geriatric and child psych units community rooms were without doors. Therefore, it is believed that patients could unnoticeably enter the community room with noose made from a cord, rope, bed sheet or other fabric/material and attempt to commit self harm or suicide. Therefore, doors with locking devices need to be installed on the community rooms.
Fine. Sure. Okay. I guess, theoretically speaking, a suicidal patient could enter the community room unnoticed with a noose made out of a cord, rope, or bed sheet or other fabric/material, stand on a chair, throw it up over some ligature point and attempt to commit self harm or suicide. So doors need to be installed.
But what to do in the meantime?
WRMC administration has deemed that, until doors with locking devices can be installed, a specific staff member will act as a door, sitting in front of the community room doorway 24/7. This staff member will assure no suicidal patient will enter the community room with a noose made out of a cord, rope, bed sheet, or other fabric/material and attempt to commit self harm or suicide!
That staff member acting as a door will be allowed to do nothing else: No patient care, no 15 minute safety rounds, no charting, and of course no electronic devices of any sort, or reading material of any kind! The staff member is to just sit there and act like a door!
I kid you not!
The staff member assigned as a door will be relieved every 2 hours.
Plus, there will be no computer charting outside of the nurses station because COWs (computers on wheels) have ligature points!
Some years ago, at our local children's hospital, the acronym COW was disallowed by administration and replaced with WOW. It seems COW, at some point, by someone, had been attached to a reference to obese staff, and thus, the insensitivity was corrected with WOW (workstation on wheels); but still just as deadly regarding ligature points.
Some years ago, at our local children's hospital, the acronym COW was disallowed by administration and replaced with WOW. It seems COW, at some point, by someone, had been attached to a reference to obese staff, and thus, the insensitivity was corrected with WOW (workstation on wheels); but still just as deadly regarding ligature points.
Collapsible chairs, maybe? What are they doing about the shower heads? They're going to have to appoint another staff member as shower monitor. Until that poor person gets accused of something. Then they'll have to put in carwash-type showers. Until someone gets caught in the buffer. I could have fun with this all day.
Some years ago, at our local children's hospital, the acronym COW was disallowed by administration and replaced with WOW. It seems COW, at some point, by someone, had been attached to a reference to obese staff, and thus, the insensitivity was corrected with WOW (workstation on wheels); but still just as deadly regarding ligature points.
I have to try to remember to say shortness of breath, rather than it's acronym while giving bedside report.. Does Psych have to give bedside report? I can imagine how well that would go!
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
4 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:
Probably going to need to remove paper, to prevent suicide by paper cut.
This actually reminds me of a patient years ago who voiced a plan to commit suicide by giving himself cigarette burns. We thought that might take a few packs, or maybe even a whole carton.
Joint Commission-a complete failure of an organization that is charged with safeguarding patient safety. Of all the pressing problems in healthcare today-i.e. dangerous N/P ratios, nursing units lacking any experienced nursing personnel.... their (Joint Commission's) near obsession with refrigerator temperature logs and now, 'ligature points' is just beyond belief. Rolling my eyes
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
6 hours ago, OldDude said:
Some years ago, at our local children's hospital, the acronym COW was disallowed by administration and replaced with WOW. It seems COW, at some point, by someone, had been attached to a reference to obese staff, and thus, the insensitivity was corrected with WOW (workstation on wheels)
Yeah, OldDuderino, staff at WRMC call them WOWs, but I favor COW.
Davey Do
10,666 Posts
Plus, there will be no computer charting outside of the nurses station because COWs (computers on wheels) have ligature points!