ED Accreditation Update
Communicate everyone's role and what you plan to change
In terms of preparing your staff to handle a disaster, start by developing a good disaster plan, says Louise Kuhny, RN, MPH, MBA, CIC, associate director of standards interpretation at The Joint Commission, previously known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
"It's essential to set up effective communication strategies before disaster occurs," Kuhny says.
Internally, communicate the plan to the members of your staff so they understand their roles, Kuhny advises. Also, communicate planned improvements internally after an exercise. For example, hospital administrators may determine during an exercise that they are unable to easily identify the number of beds available and to locate patients. "That would be an improvement that needs to be communicated in terms of the people responsible for beds and the people responsible for caring for patients," Kuhny says.
In terms of accreditation, it's critical to ensure you are performing the required number of disaster exercises, Kuhny says. Hospitals must test their disaster plan twice a year either in response to an actual emergency or in planned exercise, she says. Also, it's a requirement for hospitals that offer emergency services that one of the exercises involve an influx of actual or simulated patients, Kuhny says.
Make sure your disaster exercises are meaningful, she emphasizes. "They make a difference," Kuhny says. "You learn from them. They're not just done to meet the requirements."
In terms of preparing your staff to handle a disaster, start by developing a good disaster plan, says Louise Kuhny, RN, MPH, MBA, CIC, associate director of standards interpretation at The Joint Commission, previously known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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