Stupid (or impossible) things Joint Commission has required

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They made the OR team where my daughter works have a little ringy-dingy bell (like the kind they use at the meat counter in the grocery store) to announce it is time for the "time out."

They made us change our forms that are used by the anesthesiologist to keep the intra-operative vital signs record. The ones they rejected are the very same ones they made us develop after their previous visit.

When the nurses passed all the questions they were being asked about our fire protocols, they upped the ante and required us to describe a second exit/evacuation route.

Lab jackets on the backs of chairs at the nursing station. Nope.

One of our units uses "raspberries" and JC decided they didn't keep charts secure enough. So now they are locked in medication drawers. Physicians, therapists, social workers and case managers have to have the nurse unlock the drawer and then relock the drawer EVERY time anyone needs to see the chart.

We have to have someone at all times at the station so that our chart rack is always within the line of sight of one of the staff.

The mobil computers that we HAVE to use to manage our patient care are considered "clutter" and if seen in the hall are considered to be blocking the egress. Isolation carts (that are bigger) are not blocking the egress. Go figure.

Give me time. I'll think of others.

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Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.

Wow... I understand the point of the JC in the US but I'm so glad that we don't have them here in Canada. We do have a board for accreditation but they are not as "picky." Why don't the docs and social workers have their own keys and stopped wasting nursing hours running back and forth unlocking the drawer. Sounds frustrating...

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

what is really pathetic is that there are no true JC "rules". The surveyors are too powerful and one may over-ride the other, causing unnecessary changes and much confusion. It will only get worse with more govt involvement in our practice.

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JCAHO is an example of bureaucracy at its best!

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JCAHO is an example of bureaucracy at its best!

They are unelected, unaccountable, almost unlimited in what they can decide to require.

I spoke with a well-known expert on clinical research. They contracted her to advise them on evidence based practice. She quit in disgust after a short time because their interest in evidence was only superficial. They wanted to do what they wanted to do whether they had data for it or not.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

my favorite is when they tell you to clear off the window sills. the rooms are small enough as it is and people have so many visitors theres never enough room for the patient's things and meal tray to begin with! i work on the 3rd floor too--so i dont think having a pillow on the window sill is blocking the fire exit. those windows are locked.

i had a patient one time with so many flowers that when joint commission came in they complained that there were too many flowers on the window sill---but it was OK for us to put them on the light over the bed! hellooooo?

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Wow... I understand the point of the JC in the US but I'm so glad that we don't have them here in Canada. We do have a board for accreditation but they are not as "picky." Why don't the docs and social workers have their own keys and stopped wasting nursing hours running back and forth unlocking the drawer. Sounds frustrating...

The problem with our current set up down here is that the government doesn't go to the trouble of determining the standards and enforcing them. They contract out their responsibility to this agency that has to prove they matter by finding "dangerous deficiencies" here and there. If the government was involved it could be argued that voters would get the chance to "veto" them by agitating and lobbying congress. (This is only theoretical, you understand.)

I think our system is sort of bastardized, if you will. The government regulates and interferes, but can keep an arms length away from being responsible for the consequences.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

When I know JCAHO is coming, I take a vacation.

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Specializes in L&D, OR.
When I know JCAHO is coming, I take a vacation.

lol JoPACURN, if I know they're coming I might do the same. I just started working and haven't had a JC visit yet.

The OR bell, I think one of my perioperative professor was telling me a nurse uses a gong to let people know it's "time-out." She told us she wanted to look for it and hide it but apparently that nurse hides it and locks it away somewhere. I can very well see it being annoying.

JC visit is scary enough when people aren't following protocols etc but when people are doing things right, they shouldn't look for new things to blame. Anyways 1tulip I hope your daughter isn't having too big of a headache at work.

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Specializes in Ortho, Case Management, blabla.
When I know JCAHO is coming, I take a vacation.

When JCAHO showed up at 6:45 I was thankful I had already taped my report. I stood in the hall and ran the other way everytime I saw someone I didnt recognize until 7:15 when I got to leave. I got snagged by a JCAHO inspector last year...never again..

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I am 'justavolunteer', so I can avoid a lot of the JCAHO nonsense (at least directly). There was one JCAHO visit where the nurses had to memorize the NPSG's for that particular year. They could ask a nurse "what's NPSG #7?" and she was supposed to rattle it off. Of course, the unit being short-staffed, nurses running like headless chickens trying to keep up with the workload, etc., never concerns JCAHO. Short-staffing has been shown to be a major cause of medication errors & other things that the NPSG's are supposed to address. JCAHO suddenly gets laryngitis whenever they are asked about such things.

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I am 'justavolunteer', so I can avoid a lot of the JCAHO nonsense (at least directly). There was one JCAHO visit where the nurses had to memorize the NPSG's for that particular year. They could ask a nurse "what's NPSG #7?" and she was supposed to rattle it off. Of course, the unit being short-staffed, nurses running like headless chickens trying to keep up with the workload, etc., never concerns JCAHO. Short-staffing has been shown to be a major cause of medication errors & other things that the NPSG's are supposed to address. JCAHO suddenly gets laryngitis whenever they are asked about such things.

It is so unfair and unjust. If they happen to ask you something and you say "I don't know"... in our hospital, you can pack your bag and leave.

BUT THAT's NOT ALL!!! They are going to go into our patient's rooms and ask them...

Did your nurse introduce herself to you this morning?

What did the nurse do before she gave you your medications?

Did she ask you what your birthday is?

Did she look at your wrist band?

Now folks... I work on a neuro unit and my back surgery patients are on heavy pain meds, and my stroke/dementia patients have no short term memory!

And they are going to look around the room for any infraction.

Can't have extra linen in the room.

Water pitcher must be labeled with patient's room and bed number

Water pitcher has to have iced water in it (or at least cool water.)

IV bags have to be labeled with the time they were hung, and all the tubing has to have date stickers.

Better hope your patient hasn't just p'sd and put his urinal on his bedside table.

They will blame US if the MD's didn't sign, date and TIME the restraint orders. (That's HUGE with them.)

How realistic is this?

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