December 2, 2013
RAFT Task 1
Executive Summary for Joint Commission Standards Compliance
Nightingale Community Hospital is a 180-bed acute care hospital that is a not-for profit entity. The hospital is community based and provides leadership in quality health services in which they provide. Their vision is to be the hospital that people choose, the place employees, physicians and volunteers want to work and a hospital of choice for the community. They are committed to providing a healing environment to their patients with a compassionate commitment to healthcare excellence.
The four main areas of focus for the Joint Commission for Nightingale Hospital include Communication, Information Management, Medication Management and Infection …show more content…
Purpose: To identify the most universally used high-risk and high-alert medications at Nightingale Hospital and to define the management of such medications to thereby minimize or prevent medications errors.
Policy: Nightingale Hospital through the use of various committee processes and literature alert (Institute for Safe Medical Practice) will maintain and continue to assemble a complete list of high-risk/high-alert medications. This register will be reviewed quarterly and be revised as needed through a continuous review process. The process will include information from the Institute for Safe Medical Practices, Joint Commission and Drug Manufacturers. Literature will be kept up-to-date and on file for all pharmacy and nursing staff.
Procedure: Pharmacy personnel will be responsible for maintaining, identification and continual updating of medications that are commonly used within the facility. Pharmacy will improve upon and develop new strategies for the reduction of medication errors that are caused by the use of these types of medications.
The hospital will also put into place a policy regarding Look-Alike/Sound-Alike Medications. This will also include the handling of selection and procurement standards for the hospital.
Purpose: To identify the most universally use look-a-like and sound-a-like medications and to define the management of these medications and