2021 Joint Commission Standards: Q&A

The Joint Commission Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals updated standards have a January 1, 2022 compliance deadline. Is your facility ready to meet these requirements? View the detailed standards from the Joint Commission here.

In this blog, we’ll discuss frequently asked questions surrounding the Joint Commission standards and share sustainable solutions to help guide you as you navigate meeting these best practices.

Q: Our facility is not accredited. Why would this matter to us?

A: An accreditation from the Joint Commission extends beyond the Joint Commission itself. As a best practice in the health care industry, the Joint Commission has an alliance to raise awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives. This alliance provides health care workers and others in the industry with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees' health and safety. The Joint Commission standards are also complimentary to local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements and state statutes, as well as the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

These standards ensure you are continuously providing a safe facility to your staff and the patients in their care. This safer environment results in a more satisfied workforce and a reduction in physical restraints. When staff feel safer your facility replaces turnover and burnout with increased employee performance.

Q: Our facility knows we’re not ready to meet the new standards. Where do we start?

A: A risk assessment from CPI is the best place to start. During this free consultation call, we will review the current policies you have in place, discuss areas where you’re experiencing challenges, and determine the best approach to ensuring you meet each of the new workplace violence prevention standards from the Joint Commission.

Q: We already have CPI Certified Instructors on our team. What is the next step to ensuring we meet the new standards?

A: Existing CPI Certified Instructors on your staff certainly sets you up for success. As one of the new standards outlines, all employees within your facility must receive workplace violence prevention training at time of hire, annually, and whenever changes occur with your workplace violence prevention program (Element of Performance HR.01.05.03). This area is where your Certified Instructors are key. Ensure they have kept their certification in good standing (by renewing their certification on regular intervals) in order to continue providing training throughout your facility.

CPI’s train-the-trainer model allows each of your Certified Instructors to provide training to your staff members, while also customizing it to fit each person’s roles and responsibilities. Depending on the size of your facility, you will want to consider additional Certified Instructors to ensure all employees receive the training they need on a consistent basis.

Q: We haven’t experienced any workplace violence recently, so is training even needed?

A: Unfortunately, a lack of workplace violence does not mean your facility is immune. With health care workers accounting for approximately 50% of all victims of workplace violence, it is a reality that a crisis could happen at any time.

Equipping your staff with the crisis prevention and de-escalation training they need to handle all levels of crises is critical to ensuring the Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security^SM of both patients and staff. View our suite of training programs for health care professionals and learn the broad range of techniques and approaches we offer to hospital staff in every risk level.

Q: Our facility already has a safety policy in place. Does that mean we’re ready to meet the standards?

A: An existing safety policy is a great starting point, but it does not guarantee that you comply with the Joint Commission standards. Beyond having a policy, you will need a workplace violence prevention program, led by a staff member who oversees a multidisciplinary team that supports the program (Elements of Performance LD.03.01.01). This team manages your existing policies, ensures proper incident reporting, and provides follow-up support. CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^®, 2^nd Edition Training provides a model for staff to assess and gather incident data as they evaluate each incident. This model is a critical component to the workplace violence prevention team’s work.

A Safer Health Care Facility Starts Here.

Does your facility have additional questions surrounding the Joint Commission standards and CPI’s alignment to them? Comment below or schedule a free phone consultation with a CPI representative.