Losing Accreditation

RN1989 · Apr 4, 2008

Joint Commission will pass people and give them accreditation even when the place sucks and patient's lives are in danger because of their practices. So if this place didn't pass......I'd be wondering what else is going on. Even if it has nothing to do with nursing issues, this indicates a big problem and you can almost bet that the admin is only interested in whitewashing the truth and keeping secrets. Personally - I'd run, not walk, to somewhere else. You already know that they are for-profit, which generally means they want you to work miracles without giving you the proper staffing and equipment on a more regular basis than if they were non-profit. So if this place can't meet the ridiculous criteria of the JOKO morons.........scary.

bagladyrn, RN · Apr 4, 2008

Also, when a facility has "failed" a JCAHO inspection and is trying to rectify that, they are likely to put immense pressure on the staff to "do the impossible" and make no errors (no matter how insignificant). This really wouldn't be a good atmosphere to be orienting in - especially if you don't have years of experience behind you.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2008

The worst place I ever worked, most dangerous in terms of patient safety and nurses keeping licenses...passed with major commendations and lots of fanfare. Why? Because all they cared about was the paperwork, and that is what admin focused on. Pt care and safety was ignored.

OTOH...I worked at, and still do, an amazingly nurse friendly hospital with excellant patient outcomes, that got dinged for the most insignificant, just plain trivial issues. Of course they were corrected and we passed easily, but it shows me that joint commission is purely a racket, designed to charge hospitals enormous amounts of money, and is not interested the least bit in patient care and safe working conditions.

That said...who knows what you are getting into. Try to talk to other nurses there and see. Personally, I wish hospitals would just say NO to joint commission because it is no longer relevant. Unfortunately, hospitals are being essentially blackmailed, because if you do not jump thru their hoops and kiss their little behinds, you lose your funding. So they sell their souls to the devil for the money. Sigh....ask me how I really feel!

mianders, RN · Apr 4, 2008

The worst place I ever worked, most dangerous in terms of patient safety and nurses keeping licenses...passed with major commendations and lots of fanfare. Why? Because all they cared about was the paperwork, and that is what admin focused on. Pt care and safety was ignored.
OTOH...I worked at, and still do, an amazingly nurse friendly hospital with excellant patient outcomes, that got dinged for the most insignificant, just plain trivial issues. Of course they were corrected and we passed easily, but it shows me that joint commission is purely a racket, designed to charge hospitals enormous amounts of money, and is not interested the least bit in patient care and safe working conditions.
That said...who knows what you are getting into. Try to talk to other nurses there and see. Personally, I wish hospitals would just say NO to joint commission because it is no longer relevant. Unfortunately, hospitals are being essentially blackmailed, because if you do not jump thru their hoops and kiss their little behinds, you lose your funding. So they sell their souls to the devil for the money. Sigh....ask me how I really feel!

I don't know that the statement "they sell their souls to the devil for the money" is a fair statement. No hospital can survive without medicare funding in this day and age. I don't know what part of the country you live in, but I get the complete opposite impression from JCAHO. I think patient safety and safe working conditions are their main priority. There has to be some type of regulation or hospitals and LTC facilities would definately put the dollar before safety. :twocents:

Jolie, BSN · Apr 4, 2008

I once worked in a Tenet facility. I didn't last long there, as I felt that my license was on the line virtually every time I worked, due to staffing and poor quality of care issues.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2008

I am not saying hospitals can run without the funding, I just think JCAHO has gotten out of control. I see them focusing on minutia and not outcomes. I agree there must be some regulation, but like big government, some regulatory agencies can get too big and overstep the bounds of reason.....but we all have opinions...that is mine.

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 4, 2008

While I am not a huge JACHO fan either, I would not work for a hospital that couldn't meet their criteria. It's not as if their criteria are a secret. If the hospital can't get its act together to pass inspection, that says very bad things about the hospital.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2008

i once worked in a tenet facility. i didn't last long there, as i felt that my license was on the line virtually every time i worked, due to staffing and poor quality of care issues.

i just interviewed at a tenet facility today. it's not in the midwest, where you live (not that you couldn't have worked at this facility and moved since!) is this an issue with the heatlh care system itself? now i'm a bit worried because i found the hospital to be safe, clean and well run...at least this particular department. :uhoh21:

jess

elkpark · Apr 4, 2008

Joint Commission will pass people and give them accreditation even when the place sucks and patient's lives are in danger because of their practices. So if this place didn't pass......I'd be wondering what else is going on. Even if it has nothing to do with nursing issues, this indicates a big problem and you can almost bet that the admin is only interested in whitewashing the truth and keeping secrets. Personally - I'd run, not walk, to somewhere else. You already know that they are for-profit, which generally means they want you to work miracles without giving you the proper staffing and equipment on a more regular basis than if they were non-profit. So if this place can't meet the ridiculous criteria of the JOKO morons.........scary.

I completely agree. Also, personally, I'd go hungry before I'd work for a Tenet facility.

Jolie, BSN · Apr 4, 2008

i just interviewed at a tenet facility today. it's not in the midwest, where you live (not that you couldn't have worked at this facility and moved since!) is this an issue with the heatlh care system itself? now i'm a bit worried because i found the hospital to be safe, clean and well run...at least this particular department. :uhoh21:
jess

the facility was not in the midwest. (i've moved a lot!) while i agree that conditions may vary from one tenet facility to another, i would have serious reservations about working for this organization.

if you are offered the job, please consider asking for names and phone numbers of current unit employees, ask for an opportunity to shadow nurses on a few occasions, go eat lunch in the cafeteria and get a feel for employee satisfaction and if security is not an issue, consider making an unannounced visit to the unit prior to accepting the job.

what is the nurse patient ratio on the unit you are considering? what is the ratio of experienced (more than 2 years on that unit) to inexperienced nurses on the unit? any unit that has less than 50% experienced staff is probably not worth your consideration. what is the average length of service of nurses on the unit? it should be well over 2 years. why is the job open? what are the most common reasons for staff members leaving the unit? these are questions that the manager should be willing to answer, and that staf nurses can verify for you.

good luck!

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2008

the facility was not in the midwest. (i've moved a lot!) while i agree that conditions may vary from one tenet facility to another, i would have serious reservations about working for this organization.
if you are offered the job, please consider asking for names and phone numbers of current unit employees, ask for an opportunity to shadow nurses on a few occasions, go eat lunch in the cafeteria and get a feel for employee satisfaction and if security is not an issue, consider making an unannounced visit to the unit prior to accepting the job.
what is the nurse patient ratio on the unit you are considering? what is the ratio of experienced (more than 2 years on that unit) to inexperienced nurses on the unit? any unit that has less than 50% experienced staff is probably not worth your consideration. what is the average length of service of nurses on the unit? it should be well over 2 years. why is the job open? what are the most common reasons for staff members leaving the unit? these are questions that the manager should be willing to answer, and that staf nurses can verify for you.
good luck!

i actually did shadow a circulating rn for a surgery. (the or is where i'm applying, so ratios aren't really an issue.) thank you for everything!

jess