New nurse in ltc/nervous about inspection

tyvin, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2011

What is your position? It's usually the MDS or charge nurse that runs around with the inspectors. Be cool, know what patients they are investigating for their purposes and just know that you can't be fired over an inspection. If you're asked a question just answer to the best of your ability.

If you get chosen to be watched for anything be honest with the inspectors; they don't like to be mislead. This is the time facilities freak out; don't let their fear rub off on you. If management asks you or tells your to do something unethical in relation to the inspectors like lying ... don't do it. It's not the nurses fault who follow procedure that is laid down by the facility when the facility gets dinged. Especially when they staff the place low but during inspection some how like magic there seems to be enough staff.

You'll be fine; these inspections are part of the game.

IdrilRN, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2011

I've been through many inspections. The last was the worst. I had just got back from vacation, had a new grad nurse to orient and the 11-7 nurse "didn't have time" to pass the early morning meds. I was so late and frustrated with the morning meds. The one person I chose for her to watch me give meds too only had three, unfortunely one was an antibiotic that had more spaces not signed off. The inspector drilled me for what seemed forever on the holes, I finally asked her to please discuse this with my nurse mananger. Our place got in a lot of trouble as the mars were full of holes everywhere.

They usually have specific patients they are looking at, but they can look at any of them.

and yes as teh above poster said, you will see people/staff that you never knew existed.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jun 11, 2011

I am NOT a new nurse and still get nervous over inspections. Just do what you do every day. I tell my staff it's just 4 or 5 visitors in the building. We do the right thing and follow the regs every day so it's not that different when the survey team is in. Never say to the surveyor "I don't know." If you don't know the answer, you can tell them "I can find out that answer for you" and then make sure you find it.

AvasMom11 · Jun 11, 2011

I was just a staff nurse but on monday I will be charge nurse on my own hall. I'm extremely nervous about it but apparently our DON has a lot of faith in me. We are one of the top LTC facilities in the state so the pressure feels very intense. I didn't know that inspectors reviewed HR files and licenses. If the CNAs/CMAs make a mistake does that fall back on me? I have a CMA that's been written up by myself and another nurse twice for a med error this week.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jun 11, 2011

Even surveyors don't expect you to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and accidents/incidents happen. What matters is: did you assess for the risk, did you have a plan, did you modify the plan if something happened? If med errors were made, what did you do to make sure they didn't happen again?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 12, 2011

I've been through surveys from several different positions, and I can tell you that dealing with surveyors as a charge nurse is a cakewalk compared with doing it as a manager. Usually all they do with the floor/charge nurses is watch a med pass and/or ask where the safety information (e.g. MSDS and disaster plan) can be found; they may also want to see you do some treatments to see if you knock on doors, tell the resident what you're going to do, wash your hands properly etc.

Just remember, you want to answer any questions they ask you honestly, and if you don't know something, tell them that you'll find out the information for them. And never, never VOLUNTEER any info---you don't want to "hide" anything, but neither do you want to give them any reason to dig deeper (and stay longer!).