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A C C R E D I T A T I O N
I've attended one of those, and found it extremely informative, especially because my nursing education didn't include many courses on
statistical analysis, and QI wasn't a big part of the curriculum — a situation that I don't think is unique among many of today's facility
administrators. At the seminar, the accreditor let us perform mock QI
studies and offered insights into what we did right and what we could
improve upon.
I've also called our accrediting body several times when questions
arose about certain topics or issues I'm having at the center. The
response is typically timely and helpful. In fact, the contact info for
one of the surveyors is in my Rolodex. I feel very comfortable calling
her from time to time for advice because she's extremely knowledgeable and conducted herself during the survey in a non-threatening,
consultative manner. The conversation often begins with me saying,
"I'm certain you'll know the answer to this …" — and 9 times out of
10, she does. She's very cordial and generous in sharing opinions and
references — that's the kind of relationship that my accrediting body
allows for and fosters.
5. Valuable insights
Surveyors can share how facilities similar to yours solve the same
issues you're dealing with. Surveyors who've toured my facility have
asked for a copy of forms we're using that they feel are effective or
have taken notes about impactful ways we've met certain standards.
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