Surviving The Joint Commission: 4 Helpful Tips

The Joint Commission (JC) surveyed my hospital last week. What a stressful week! Management was in a tizzy, running around making sure that everyone was obeying every rule at all times. We were quizzed on our policies and procedures, and reminded about everything leadership thought we might get asked about. I guess they might say they were just “prepping” us, but all of the extra reminding and checking only seemed to add to the stress. And just surviving the joint commission survey was about all we cared about.

By the time the surveyors actually arrived in our department, everyone pretty much had the same general feeling: HIDE!

It was really almost comical to watch as the surveyors moved through our department, though. As they went down one hall, all of the staff in the halls found a reason to move to another hall. Or they suddenly had to go into the equipment room or the supply room. And they always told anyone they ran into to avoid the area where the surveyors were.

So why does everyone want to hide?

Because no one wants to be that person who gets called on to answer questions! Talk about test anxiety! (Duh…this is really a no-brainer)

Ok, so we know why we hide. But what if hiding doesn’t help? What if you still get interviewed by a surveyor? What are you gonna do?

Well, obviously you’re going to try your very best to answer their questions correctly!

Maybe I can make that a little easier for you. We were given some pointers before JC came to survey us that I thought you all might find helpful as well. These are actually pretty common sense, but it was a good reminder. And just in case you’re not that good at hiding when they show up at your facility, maybe these tips will help.

4 helpful tips for surviving the joint commission survey:

#1. Don’t be nervous!

The surveyors really aren’t trying to trick you. In my experience they’ve always been very nice, even though a large group of them can be intimidating.

#2. Only answer the question that you’re asked.

If you don’t understand what you’ve been asked, it’s ok to ask them to clarify or repeat the question. But don’t elaborate with your answer. Simply answer the questions that they asked you.

#3. Give a definite answer.

Don’t answer a question with, “Sometimes we….” or, “We might do…,” or any other answer that isn’t definite. It’s either, “Yes, this is how we do it,” or “No, we don’t do that.” You could also say, “Our policies say that we do this…” Know your policies and answer in a definite way that is consistent with what your policies’ state.

#4. Remember that you have resources to help you!

What if you just completely draw a blank? What if you don’t know the answer at all? Remember that in real life if you didn’t know something you would escalate your problem to your charge nurse, team leader, or manager. So do the same here. You might not know the answer, but you know where to go to find it, so say that. For example, “I don’t remember the answer, but I know how to find it.” And then you could show them how you would do that.

My stress levels are very thankful that we don’t see the Joint Commission every year.

Yes, it’s good to be held accountable by an outside source, but it can also be nerve-wracking. Hopefully, though, next time they show up at your facility these 4 little tips will help you be confident in answering any question they may ask.

 

Until next time,

 

Melanie