JCAHO Nr.1.10 JCAHO Standard Nr.1.10

JCAHO NR.1.10

JCAHO standard NR.1.10 deals exclusively with the role of nursing executives in the health care setting. The standard determines the rights, roles and responsibilities of the nursing executive as the responsible, available and essential manager of all nursing associated health care delivery in the facility. The RN (nursing executive) is responsible for organizing and overseeing all nursing care and the facility depending on type may be required to have an RN (acting as the nursing executive) on site 24 hours a day 7 days a week. According to the JCAHO Survey Cooordinators Handbook the essential functions of NR.1.10 are to establish that the nurse executive is responsible for:

Developing an organizationwide patient care program that is governed by clear policies and procedures that describe how patients' nursing care needs are assessed, evaluated and met.

Participating in the development and implementation of the hospital's plan for providing nursing care.

Participating in the leadership of the hospital.

Developing an approach to measure, assess, and improve the quality of nursing care. (Bryant, & Pejakovich, 2006, 131)

The development of these standards of involvement are particularly important for the development of nursing standards and overall hospital and other facility nurse respect and responsibility.

NR.1.10 is actually in transition at this time, with language changes but essentially the same meaning, i.e. that there must be a RN or above nurse staff member on site to direct all aspects of nursing care, who is duly prepared and openly appointed to the position. This nurse executive is essentially capable of speaking for all the nursing staff and is essential in planning and participation of administrative nursing representation amongst other executives in the hospital. (JCAHO, NR.1.10, 2009-2008) the Joint Commission defines the roles of standards as they are altered but details the full standard only in the full lengthy document, which to many may seem like an annual senate Budget report. In brief the NR.1.10 text is as follows: "A nurse executive directs the hospital's nursing services." But is then broken down into parts which are available only to the individual or group that purchases the full text copy of the standards manual for every given year.