During mock surveys I always ask staff what the contact or wet time is for a particular disinfecting wipe. Unless they have changed products recently or are frequently getting different brands due to availability (a result of COVID-19) staff are able to verbalize the correct contact or wet time. The question is, do they know […]
What Does Contact Time or Wet Time Really Mean? Read More »
How often do we go to the linen closet and say to ourselves, “is this linen safe to put on my patient’s bed?” As a nurse for over 40 years, I do not think that I have ever asked myself that question. I was happy that the linen was there and that I could use
Is Your Linen Safe for Patient Use? Read More »
A frequently asked question on mock surveys is, “How do I know what type of cleaning and disinfection process is needed for my ultrasound transducers (probes)?” The use of diagnostic ultrasound imaging continues to expand beyond the conventional settings of radiology, cardiology, and obstetrics. Today, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely utilized at the bedside throughout
Cleaning and Preparing Ultrasound Transducers Between Patients Read More »
In preparing for your Joint Commission survey, it is always helpful to review the Survey Activity Guides published by the Joint Commission annually. These guides will not only assist you in preparing for survey but will also provide you with an abstract of each survey activity that includes logistical needs, session objectives, an overview of
Get Ready for Your Next Survey Read More »
Recently there has been a lot of news about cybercrime related to hospital IT systems. The American Hospital Association published a Special Bulletin recently updating hospitals of these attacks and the need to make sure that their IT systems are secure. This information comes from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the
Cybercrime – Is Your IT System Secure? Read More »
Credentials are documented evidence of licensure, education, training, experience, or other qualifications. Credentials can be in the form of a certificate, letter, official identification, or experience that confirms a practitioner is qualified to perform specific procedures or services. Once credentials are submitted along with the application and all other requested paperwork, the organization needs to
Credentialing: How to Succeed Read More »
To provide safe and reliable anesthesia to all patients undergoing surgery it is important to make sure that the anesthesia machine used is working properly. Anesthesia outcome claims have decreased over the past two decades to less than 1% of claims according to the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASAHQ), with the most recent data publicized
Are Daily Anesthesia Machine Checks Needed? Read More »
Understanding the Issue “Inappropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance are major public health threats. In the United States, most antibiotic use occurs in ambulatory care and 30% to 50% may be inappropriate. The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria set a goal of reducing inappropriate outpatient antibiotics by 50% by 2020. “ TA Rowe
Why Antibiotic Stewardship is Important in the Ambulatory Care Setting Read More »
More than 45 years ago, Earle H. Spaulding developed an approach to disinfect and sterilize patient-care items and equipment. His approach has been successfully used by infection control professionals and others when planning methods for disinfection or sterilization. Spaulding believed that if instruments and devices for patient care were placed into different classifications according to
What Is High Level Disinfection (HLD)? Read More »
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