Can You Put the Kibosh on Frequent Crash Cart Checks?
Accreditation Monthly
June 10, 2010
Are you hoping that those missing crash cart signature checks aren't found on your next internal tracer or accreditation survey? When you think about it, a crash cart does not have to be checked every shift or even every day. There is no specific requirement to check a crash cart. However, there are requirements for making sure emergency medications and supplies (MM.03.01.03) as well as resuscitation equipment (PC.02.01.11) are readily available. There are also requirements in the environment of care standards for maintaining an inventory of medical and life support equipment and following written steps for inspection, maintenance, and testing of this equipment. So how can you evaluate the amount of effort needed to maintain your crash cart equipment and supplies needed for an emergency situation? A good place to start is to ask the defibrillator manufacturer what is recommended for testing to ensure proper function. This may vary depending on the type of equipment you have, and it may be less often than you think. Is your crash cart secured with the same unbroken breakaway lock from the last time it was used? If so, the contents are intact. Is the date of the first expiring medication or supply tagged for a future date so you know when to restock? If so, the contents are current.
As consultants, we see citations all the time as a result of overly strict policies that require staff to perform checks every shift in addition to all of their other responsibilities. What happens if your policy requires checks daily or on every shift but the unit isn't open seven days a week? If your current system of checking crash carts doesn't make sense to you from an operational perspective, rethink your policy. Consider assigning the task of performing the checks to a specific person or title such as the charge nurse. This will provide you with consistency in receiving feedback about the process.
Since your leadership is responsible for the quality and safety of care delivered in your institution, you want to be ready in the event of an emergency. But with a little assessment and planning, you could potentially save a lot of effort and achieve better results.
Laure Dudley, RN, MS
Consultant
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