Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD-BC) Practice Exam

During the Joint Commission accreditation process, how do surveyors select patients?

1. They are chosen by administration

2. No patients are followed

3. Surveyors randomly select patients

4. Only historical records are reviewed

The correct answer is: Surveyors randomly select patients

Surveyors utilize a random selection process for choosing patients during the Joint Commission accreditation process. This method ensures an unbiased and representative sample of the patient population receiving care within the institution. By selecting patients at random, surveyors are able to assess the quality of care delivered across various departments and services, which reflects the overall performance of the healthcare facility. The random selection of patients allows surveyors to gather comprehensive data and evaluate the effectiveness of the organization's processes and adherence to established standards. This approach provides a robust assessment of clinical practices, improving care delivery and enhancing patient safety. Other methods, such as choosing patients based on administration's preferences or solely reviewing historical records, do not provide the same depth of evaluation since they would likely introduce biases or fail to capture the current state of patient care. By following a suitably randomized method, the accreditation survey is conducted with integrity, ensuring that findings are relevant and applicable to current practices.