Health-Care Staff Training News

Joint Commission: Hostile Staff Behavior Undermines Patient Safety

"Most health-care workers do their jobs with care, compassion and professionalism," says Joint Commission president Mark R. Chassin. "But sometimes professionalism breaks down and caregivers engage in behaviors that threaten patient safety. It is important for organizations to take a stand by clearly identifying such behaviors and refusing to tolerate them."

Health-care professionals have always been aware that disruptive and intimidating staff behavior can seriously compromise patient safety and overall quality of care. In a recent alert, the Joint Commission announced the introduction of new standards that will require more than 15,000 accredited health-care organizations to create codes of conduct defining acceptable standards of behavior -- and to establish a formal process for managing behavior that is deemed unacceptable. The standards will take effect on January 1, 2009.

To read the press release, go to:
http://www.jointcommission.org/NewsRoom/NewsReleases/nr_07_09_08.htm

To see the Sentinel Event Alert, go to:
http://www.jointcommission.org/SentinelEvents/SentinelEventAlert/sea_40.htm

Help resolve staff conflicts and meet Joint Commission standards

"Managing Conflict With Co-Workers; A Health-Care Staff Handbook" (EM92348)K
Help your staff work together to resolve conflicts and optimize patient care! This interactive workbook explains how conflicts develop, and suggests several healthy conflict-management tactics. Workbook pages help people resolve existing conflicts and reflect on past experiences -- so everyone can deal with problems more effectively. Includes a self-assessment quiz. 32 pages, 8 1/2" x 11"

To place a secure online order, go to:
http://go.channing-bete.com/wa/detailForItem?p=1&itemno=EM92348

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Focus on Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals

New National Patient Safety Goals for 2009

This month, we'd like to focus on the newly announced 2009 National Patient Safety Goals. Major changes for 2009 include:

• three new hospital and critical-access hospital requirements related to preventing deadly health-care-associated infections due to multiple drug-resistant organisms (MDROs), central line-associated bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections
• a revision of the requirements for the existing medication reconciliation goal
• improvements to the requirements associated with the existing Universal Protocol.

Additionally, all requirements are being renumbered as part of the Standards Improvement Initiative. The new numbering system is designed to enable electronic sorting (for the new E-ditions of the manuals), and to better accommodate the addition of new requirements. Under the new system, each requirement is assigned a six-digit number that designates its place in the chapter.

For more information and a complete listing of all of the 2009 goals, go to:
http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/NationalPatientSafetyGoals/

Get an early start meeting new Joint Commission goals -- prepare staff members for next year's requirements now!

"Medication Reconciliation -- What Health-Care Staff Need To Know" (EM23030)A
This informative and easy-to-read booklet provides health-care staff with all the information they need to completely and effectively reconcile medications -- making it a great way to prepare your team to meet Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal #8. Booklet offers strategies for completing the reconciliation process, explains why Joint Commission accreditation is crucial, and includes a self-assessment quiz to document training and prove staff competency. 16 pages, 5 1/2" x 8"

"Transmission-Based Precautions" (EM39305)A
This booklet provides step-by-step guidelines for preventing airborne, droplet, and contact transmission of disease. It explains how germs travel in each environment, infections that can occur, precautions to take, and protective equipment to wear. There's a question-and-answer section, and a quiz to help document training. 16 pages, 5 1/2" x 8"

To learn more about either of these resources, or to place an online order, go to:
http://go.channing-bete.com/wa/promotion?p=1&code=L310J

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Training and Education Tips

This Month: Are Your Training Goals S.M.A.R.T.?

Next time you're planning a staff training session, take a moment to think about what you're trying to accomplish, and create goals that are S.M.A.R.T.:

Specific: Is the ultimate goal of your training clear to both you and members of your staff? Here's a good example of a clear goal: Train staff in proper medication reconciliation methods so that all are able to comply with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal #8.

Measurable: Make sure you also have a way to measure how well the training went. For example, the goal described above might be measured by administering a post-training quiz.

Attainable: Can your goal be realistically achieved?

Relevant: Will the training be meaningful to staff? If not, are there ways you could improve it so that it is more relevant?

Timely: It's important to set a time frame for conducting your training or meeting your goal.

By following the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting format every time you implement a new training initiative, you can increase the quality and relevance of training sessions -- resulting in more educated staff members and increased patient safety!

You can submit your own ideas for use in future newsletters! If yours is published, you'll receive a free gift -- and it's great publicity for your organization. Mail your training ideas to akowaleck@channing-bete.com with "Staff Training Idea" in the subject line.

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New Product Spotlight

"Hand Hygiene; A Pocket Minder® Card" (EM47857)A

Make sure staff members always have information on proper hand hygiene at their fingertips -- with a guide they can keep right in their pocket! Provides thorough, reader-friendly instructions for how and when to use alcohol-based hand rubs and soap and water -- based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- and includes space to write in facility-specific rules. Durable UV coating resists deterioration when handled with wet hands. 2-sided, 3 3/8" x 2 1/8" (closed), 6 3/4" x 8 1/2" (open)

To place a secure online order, go to:
http://go.channing-bete.com/wa/detailForItem?p=1&itemno=EM47857

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I'm looking for staff training videos (particularly on pandemic flu preparation). My staff is interested in getting CEUs with the video. Is this possible?

A: Many of the videos we carry, including a special three-part series on pandemic flu preparation for health-care staff, have CEU credits available. Credit availability for all of our products is highlighted in the product descriptions on our Web site (see link below). Information on redeeming your credits is included in the video package.

Visit us on the Web at:
http://www.channing-bete.com/health-care/health-staff-education.html

Q: May I preview videos prior to purchase?

A: Some vendors offer previews, which require you to order and return the preview prior to purchasing the video. We offer a 30-day grace period after your purchase -- if you want to keep the video, you can pay by check or credit card when the grace period is over. You may also return the video at no cost to you.

Do you have a question for the Channing Bete Company® experts? Send it to kbalboni@channing-bete.com.

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