J-C-A-H-O: Commission BINGO is our game-o!
It keeps staff from getting bored
There comes a point in all education managers' efforts to teach staff about agency rules and home care regulations when they see their students' eyes glaze over. When that dazed look sets in, it might be time for you to pull out a Joint Commission BINGO game.
Southwest Home Care in Liberal, KS, developed questions on rules and regulations to help prepare employees for a survey by the Joint Commis sion on Accreditation of Healthcare Organiza tions of Oakbrook Terrace, IL. The agency's education manager created a BINGO game that focused on quality improvement and goals. (See BINGO board sample, inserted in this issue.)
"We found problems with quality improvement studies," says Cheryl Brock, RN, BSN, a clinical program nurse for the hospital-based agency, which covers a mostly rural area of Southwest Kansas and the panhandle of Oklahoma. "Nurses were having trouble with goals, making them measurable and curable," she says.
Prizes, more prizes
Brock wrote questions based on goals used in the nursing process, relating to clinical areas and documentation requirements. About eight people play one game, giving each player about three questions to answer. Each player is given a BINGO card, an information sheet, and a Magic Marker. The cards are pieces of typing paper on which the board was photocopied. (See information page sample, p. 115.) "Everyone had the same card and the same numbers," Brock says.
The caller draws a number, which is made of construction paper, from a basket. One player must answer the question on that space correctly to mark the square. (See BINGO answers, p. 115.) If the player answers the question correctly, that player may mark the square with a marker, and no one else may count that square. If the player misses the question, another person has a chance to answer it. "We gave out a prize every time someone answered a question correctly, and then we gave a grand prize to the one who had the most squares filled in," Brock says.
Even if BINGO is called, Brock says she continues asking the questions until all have been answered correctly. The game was a success with the staff, she says.
"They enjoyed it. At first they thought it was a baby's game, but they enjoyed it, and we saw some improvement at the next quality improvement study of the care planning process." n
JULY
7-11: National Conference on Autism. This four-day conference in Reno, NV, for parents and professionals in the field of autism features workshops and lectures. Contact: Autism Society of America, 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 650, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: (800) 3-AUTISM.
9-10: Academy of General Dentistry's SmileLine. The SmileLine is a free consumer dental hotline staffed by members of the Academy of General Dentistry. They answer dental questions about gum disease, implants, cosmetic dentistry, etc. Contact: Academy of General Dentistry, 211 East Chicago Ave., Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: (312) 440-4308. Fax: (312) 440-0559.
11-17: National Wellness Conference. 23rd Annual National Wellness Conference will be held at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus. Sponsored by National Wellness Institute, conference will have more than 175 presenters. Contact: Kristin Peterson, conference coordinator, National Wellness Institute, 1300 College Court, P.O. Box 827, Stevens Point, WI 54481-0827. Phone: (715) 342-2969. Fax: (715) 342-2979. E-mail: [email protected].
12-18: National Therapeutic Recreation Week. Annual event enables professionals to celebrate the important work they do and educate public on value of recreation. Contact: National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148. Phone: (800) 626-NRPA.
AUGUST
1-31: National Pediculosis Prevention Month. This month, also called National Head Lice Prevention Month, was created to allow health care providers and others to focus community attention on the issue. Contact: National Pediculosis Association, P.O. Box 610189, Newton, MA 02161. Phone: (617) 449-NITS, ext. 108, or (800) 446-4NPA. n
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