In their May 2021 Newsletter, The Joint Commission relayed increasing concerns regarding observations of staff not following proper infection control practices with both the use of glucometers and during insulin administration. These observations have been to such a degree of concern for infection risk that organizations have received Immediate Threat citations. Staff are not following …
As of March 15, 2021, The Joint Commission will be reverting back to pre-pandemic survey procedures in light of reduced cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. according to a message that was sent by Mark Pelletier, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive of The Joint Commission today. This return to pre-pandemic survey procedures means …
The Joint Commission is Returning to Pre-Pandemic Survey Procedures Read More »
Being ready for situations where your patient requires resuscitation is critical. Staff complete training in basic/advanced life support, and some staff complete more advanced skills in pediatric and neonatal resuscitation, as appropriate. There has been increased focus on drills and simulation to better prepare the team in these life-saving measures. However, has anyone looked at …
How to Keep Your Code Carts from Crashing and Burning Read More »
Ensuring that you store medications, food items, lab specimens, blood, and other items and supplies at appropriate temperatures in cold storage is essential to ensure your patients receive safe and effective product. However, maintaining a record of these temperature measurements seem to confound a lot of organizations out there. We frequently observe incomplete refrigerator/freezer logs …
Are Your Freezer/Refrigerator Logs Giving You Frostbite? Read More »
In November 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published their landmark report on the medical error crisis in U.S. healthcare called To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. This was followed in March 2001 with an IOM report on healthcare quality called Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st …
Have We Crossed Over the Quality Chasm or Are We Hanging Mid-Air? Read More »
January 2021 marks eighteen months since changes were initiated with more focus on NPSG 15.01.01, Reducing the risk of suicide. The changes in focus were in response to devastating statistics showing a trend of increasing rates of suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in …
Suicide Prevention – Are You Addressing the Risk? Read More »
[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]How is your organization doing in addressing fall risks for your patients? Patient falls are among the most reported patient safety incident. Recent data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that 700,000 to 1 million …
Patient Fall Prevention – Are You Addressing the Risk? Read More »
The Joint Commission will be defining fall events in their Sentinel Event Policy starting January 1, 2021 to help address the need for more preventive fall measures. This new definition will be more closely aligned with established guidelines from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators™ and the National Quality Forum. The new definition will …
New Definition for Fall Events Under TJC’s Sentinel Event Policy Read More »
CMS’s recently announced adoption of the final rule that will make changes to several regulatory requirements that affect hospitals, critical access hospitals and/or Ambulatory Surgery Centers. These changes will be phased in over the next two years. The first change removes the current requirements found at 416.52(a) for a H&P within 30 days of the …
History & Physical Requirement Changes – Ambulatory Surgery Centers Read More »
It is timely that in the midst of a worldwide pandemic that has gripped our nation, we celebrate our nation’s nursing professionals during Nursing Week (May 6-12). The normal accolades provided to our nursing professionals for their delivery of safe and effective patient care seem to fall short in the face of the current healthcare …
