Be Prepared to Handle the Challenge of Competency Assurance Documentation
March 30, 2011
Competency Assurance—it’s a rapidly changing area of responsibility for respiratory care managers. And the challenge of providing structured orientation and validating competency includes a significant amount of detail work. Well, great tools are now available to support and streamline that process for you. The AARC is proud to announce the release of the Orientation and Competency Assurance Documentation Manual for Respiratory Care, 2nd Edition. The purpose of this manual is to present a resource and multiple examples that allow the user to create a customized orientation and competency assurance system for Respiratory Care services. And it’s all in digital format, ready for immediate use in your facility.
How does it work?
The manual provides clinical Respiratory Care departments with examples of systems, instruments, and guidelines for the development of an orientation and competency assurance system. It takes into consideration the regulatory standards from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Conditions for Participation, The Joint Commission (TJC), and multiple state Respiratory Care licensure laws. Over 90 forms are provided in Microsoft® Word® and Excel®, each detailing steps in a named process for orientation or performance evaluations. Use the forms exactly as provided, or copy them to your computer and make changes to match the needs of your facility. Even summary forms are included in each general area of care. And if you’re looking for a specific topic, there’s also a searchable index of all the forms and documents available on the CD.
This up-to-date, comprehensive manual was developed by a team of AARC members from Mission Health System in Asheville, NC—Dan Grady, MEd, FAARC, RRT; John Riggs, PhD, FAARC, RRT; Terry Smith, MHS, RRT; and Jody Miller, RRT. And the scope has been significantly broadened. Dan Grady says “Respiratory Care Directors frequently have more departments than Respiratory Care services to manage. So, in this second edition, competency assessment tools have been developed for other services such as Pulmonary Rehab, Sleep Disorder Centers, Neurodiagnostics, and Non-invasive Cardiology services.”
The Orientation and Competency Assurance Documentation Manual for Respiratory Care, 2nd Edition is available now from the AARC Respiratory Catalog. Order online, fax your purchase order to 972-484-2720, or contact AARC Customer Service at 972-243-2272. AARC Members pay only $119.00 for this great new resource.