TJC: Support Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Joint Commission (TJC) has issued the first in a series of special edition Sentinel Event Alerts aimed at addressing concerns raised by healthcare workers as they respond to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.1
The accrediting agency notes the feedback it has received from healthcare workers to its Office of Quality and Patient Safety underscores three main concerns: fear of the unknown, fear of contracting the virus, and fear of bringing the virus home.
Further bolstering these findings is a study commissioned by TJC to gain insight from healthcare organizations on the short-term and long-term effects of the crisis. Organizations reported their workers remain concerned about their physical and mental health and the well-being of their families. There also are concerns about current and future staffing shortages, along with job and pay security, considering pandemic-related staffing reductions and reported furloughs.
In light of these multiple, ongoing worries, TJC recommends five ways leaders can support staff:
- Foster open and transparent communication to build trust, alleviate fears, and sustain an effective workforce.
- Remove barriers to mental healthcare services and support systems that bolster institutional and individual resilience.
- Use the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Hierarchy of Controls framework to protect worker safety.2
- Develop as much flexibility as possible by identifying work that can be performed remotely.
- Nurture opportunities for clinicians and other workers to collaborate and innovate.
REFERENCES
- The Joint Commission. Sentinel Event Alert 62: Health care workers in the midst of crisis. Feb. 2, 2021.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Hierarchy of Controls. Page last reviewed Jan. 13, 2015.
The Joint Commission has issued the first in a series of special bulletins aimed at addressing concerns raised by healthcare workers as they respond to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.