The Joint Commission has announced the field review of its revised medication reconciliation requirement, which it has designated as National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 03.07.01....

In a year that saw budgets cut, travel expenses slashed, and jobs lost, it is unsurprising to report that 2009 did not see major increases in salary for accreditation specialists and survey coordinato...

One of the most vital parts of providing adequate healthcare is the exchange of information between patient and caregiver. Without clear communication, it can be difficult, and even dangerous, to trea...

Since 2002, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has sponsored Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) as a means of making caregivers, other types of hospital staff, and community members more ...

Now that the public has had a few days to review the interim staffing effectiveness standards for 2010, what are your thoughts? Are they reasonable? Were you anticipating interim standards while The J...

When a new patient enters a hospital, staff membersgenerally follow the same routine. The admitting nurse asks the patient’s name, date of birth, symptoms, and any allergies to any medications....

Staff members are often trained to report a potential medical error, or near-miss event. However, more often than not, these events go unreported. In 2003, The University of Texas (UT) System, made up...

Is there a gold standard for the definition of a fall?...

The Joint Commission recently announced a clarification on Information Management standard IM.02.02.01. This standard deals with the area of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and dose designations....

Q: How should our organization meet compliance with educating patients and their families on multidrug-¬resistant organisms (MDRO), central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), a...