Revisiting Staff Respite Spaces
Offering staff and care providers a respite space where they can take a break from the demands of their role is a small gesture that greatly increases their satisfaction at work and directly affects the care they give to patients. The ability to rest and recharge promotes safer, more efficient operations, resulting in better outcomes and fewer medical errors.
TJC Tweaks EC and LS standards, Adds Specifics to Some Requirements
Review your Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) policies and procedures now that The Joint Commission has issued another round of revisions, prepublished September 21 with an effective date of January 1, 2023. Only 12 standards are involved in this latest round. Many of the revisions add specifics to long-standing requirements, including several that add new notes under the element of performance (EP). Others are simple tweaks.
How to Reduce Hospital-Onset Clostridioides Difficile
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and colitis, with nearly half a million infections in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 11 patients over age 65 with a healthcare-associated C. diff infection die within one month, the CDC says.
Survey Time: Check Your Ice Machine Outlets, Brush Up on IC, Staff Safety
The Joint Commission (TJC) is still catching up on the surveys backlogged during the COVID-19 pandemic—but they are catching up. Be aware that you might soon be getting a notice that your survey is scheduled, although you still won’t be told an exact date because CMS requires the visits to be unannounced.
IAHSS Releases Updated Healthcare Use-of-Force Guidelines
Use of force in healthcare environments involves a variety of circumstances, including patient restraint, patient elopement, involuntary commitment, criminal incidents, and other situations, according to IAHSS officials. Naturally, healthcare security officers, whether proprietary, contracted, or law enforcement, are frequently called upon to intervene in these difficult circumstances, IAHSS officials reported.
Monkeypox: CDC Updates Guidance for Medical Waste Handling
The CDC has updated its guidance on infection control of monkeypox for healthcare settings, reminding providers that any case suspected of being of the more deadly Congo Basin clade requires more extensive precautions, including the handling of hazardous medical waste.
Transform911 Unveils Recommendations to Improve Nation’s Emergency Response Network
Transform911, an initiative launched in 2021 with more than $1 million in funding, led by the University of Chicago Health Lab and comprised of more than 100 stakeholders, has unveiled six key recommendations, the result of 18 months of meetings and research into the 54-year-old emergency response network.
Investments in Hospital Security Are Top of Mind Following Mass Shootings
Increasing security measures at hospitals can come with significant financial and logistical challenges, but there are actionable steps and investments healthcare leaders can take to ensure the safety of the staff and patients within their organizations.
Healthcare Worker Wellness and the Surprising Impact of Flooring
The topic of ergonomics as related to flooring should be comprehensively defined to include comfort, fatigue, musculoskeletal strain, and injury and emotional stress created by noise in the interior environment. Each factor contributes to or detracts from the general well-being of patients, residents, and staff.
Insight in Preparedness for Healthcare Facilities
Here, we will analyze several of the key drivers of hospital/medical facility planning and design required to meet future needs—including the need for energy efficiency, an understanding of available redundancy, and a comparison of first costs versus life cycle costs.