Preparing for the JCAHO survey

Ready or not, here they come! The triennial visit by surveyors from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) does not have to be an occurrence that strikes fear into the heart of the chief nurse and most of the nursing staff. If properly prepared, a nursing staff can actually look forward to the challenge of a Joint Commission survey. The author describes mechanisms used to prepare departments of nursing at several hospitals within a major command for a Joint Commission survey.