High Level Disinfection – Observations from the Field
High-Level Disinfection continues to be one of the top 10 TJC findings for 2021. Learn what the consultants at Courtemanche and Associates would are seeing in the field.
Immediate Jeopardy Risks and Prevention Strategies
Are you aware of what an immediate jeopardy citation is and how to avoid one? Understanding what it is, what the risks are in your organization and developing and implementing a plan to prevent the situation from happening in your organization is crucial.
Healthcare Accreditation – Choosing the Right Agency
Healthcare accreditation has many benefits for an organization but choosing the right agency can be challenging.
Ambulatory Care’s Most Challenging Findings
A list of Ambulatory Care’s most challenging findings for 2021 was recently published by The Joint Commission (TJC).
What You Need to Know About Pet Therapy
Therapy animals provide immense benefits to patients and have been proven to reduce depression, anxiety, pain, and fatigue in patients with a variety of health conditions. However, is your Pet Therapy program following safe infection prevention protocol?
From Breast to Bottle – Let’s Keep That Breast Milk Safe
Introduction Breastfeeding, also called nursing, is the process of feeding human breast milk to a child, either directly from the breast or by expressing the milk from the breast and bottle-feeding it to the infant. The World Health Organization recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and continue as often …
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Have You Inspected Your Laundry Department Lately?
How often do we go to the linen closet and say to ourselves, “is this linen safe to put on my patient’s bed?” As a nurse for over 40 years, I do not think that I have ever asked myself that question. I was happy that the linen was there and that I could use …
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Behind the Scenes – Consultant Readiness
Do you ever wonder what a mock survey consultant does prior to visiting your organization? Have you been curious about the extent of preparation that occurs, how we are able to identify areas for improvement (or regulatory gaps) in a short period of time, and how it all comes together in a final report to enable effective resolution?
Is Your Staff Competent and Can You Prove It?
The definition of competent is having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully. Being competent on paper and being able to perform a necessary skill or job responsibility are two different things. Before you can be competent you must be educated, trained and a competency assessment performed. You need to have the …
Enzymatic Spraying of Instruments at Point of Use
You have finished the procedure, now what’s next? Prior to sending instruments to Sterile Processing, it is important to remember to remove as much blood and bioburden from the instruments and keep them moist during transport. With Personal Protective Equipment on, rinse or wipe the instruments with water. Never use saline as it will damage …
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