CREDENTIALING, CERTIFICATION AND PATIENT SAFETY – ISSUE NO. 18

Two of the stories last week focused on robotic surgery and the possible need for surgeons to have special certification when it comes to this new surgical skill. Two other stories focused on patient safety. The Joint Commission announced their 2009 national awards in patient safety and the other story was about the negligence of a New Jersey doctor's office, possibly exposing patients to hepatitis. All of these stories demonstrate the importance of certification for all healthcare providers. Why certification? It comes down to patient safety. Certification does not necessary mean there will be no issues or problems but it does set a standard of performance and training for a profession. It has always been my belief that people who work in medical facilities should be certified in their area of expertise. Certifications from professional groups are widely available for nurses and technicians. Nurses in the surgical setting should check with the CNOR and the surgical technician should check with AST. For CSSD staff at all levels, IAHCSMM and CBSPD offer certification. Training and certification for endoscopy staff is available from SGNA and CBSPD. Infections control can contact APIC and of course BioMedical technicians can look at AAMI. Certification is the right think do.