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Joint Commission Clarifies Position on Nursing Oversight |
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May 14, 2008
AARC’s opposition to a proposed Joint Commission standard has paid off, as the group will clarify language regarding a proposed Nursing Executive standard that raised much concern among respiratory therapy departments.
The proposed standard, if adopted, could have been interpreted to require ancillary services such as pharmacy, physical therapy and respiratory therapy to provide service under the coordination of the nurse executive.
The Joint Commission contacted the AARC and said, “The note will be eliminated from the [standard] and the requirement will be modified to clarify that the intent of the requirement is that the nurse executive coordinates the development of organization-wide patient care programs.” The AARC and other groups had been concerned that the proposal could be interpreted to mean that the respiratory services would fall under nursing service reimbursement rather than ancillary services or that the physician medical direction of a department could be compromised.
The Joint Commission has clarified that that was not the intent and will reword the provision.
AARC originally alerted its members to this issue in March. Refer to link for further information from the AARC - Headlines.
Submitted by: Jeff Shelton, BSBA, RRT NSRC-President-Elect
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