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Web site spotlight: Hospital experiences unique Joint Commission visit

Nurse Leader Weekly, August 25, 2008

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Hospitals can prepare for their Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) surveys through several methods. However, one thing they cannot predict and prepare for is the survey team itself and the personalities of the surveyors. In May, a Spanish-speaking anesthesiologist was part of the team that visited Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville (TX) and Commerce, part of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District.

Representatives of this 201-bed hospital said they had a successful and smooth survey-but it was the team itself that caught them off guard.

"Besides being a Spanish speaker, the anesthesiologist had a very specific focus," says Bambi Pish, RN, MSN. "He was very black-and-white about interpretations and regulations. His specific focus led to a more concentrated review in the anesthesia department."

The anesthesiologist surveyor spoke with the Spanish-speaking patients in the hospital. "This was awkward because we didn't know what he was saying," Pish says. "He sought out Spanish-speaking patients, and it was unsettling when we didn't know what they were discussing."

The hospital didn't receive a requirement for improvement in regard to language or communication issues, but the nurses and staff members were caught off guard.

Editor's note: This excerpt was adapted from the article, "Language adds twist to unannounced survey: Hospital learns from a unique surveyor team" featured in The Reading Room on HCPro's new online resource center, www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com. Get a free trial membership that will give you 30 days to test drive all the exciting features on the Web site.

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