RESIDENT RIGHTS                                                                                              04-02-012

 

 

REPORTING OF RESIDENT ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS

 

 

POLICY STATEMENT.

 

The Division of Veterans Health Care Services (DVHS) requires that each New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home (VMH) develops and implements a procedure for the reporting of resident accidents and/or incidents.

 

PURPOSE.

 

  1. To address accidental injuries and ensure the prompt referral of injured residents for medical evaluation and health treatment services.

 

  1. To identify causal factors, initiate corrective action(s) to prevent other occurrences or similar accidents, and collect accident/incident data to prepare mandated monthly reports and track occurrences.

 

DEFINITIONS.

 

ACCIDENT - is an unintentional or unexpected occurrence that is undesirable or unfortunate and did result in, or might have resulted in, injury, damage, harm, or loss.

 

INCIDENT – is an unusual or abnormal event or occurrence in, at, or affecting the facility and/or the residents of the facility.

 

INJURY - harm done or sustained.

 

PROCEDURE.

 

The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes shall establish and implement a process that facilitates the prompt reporting of resident accidents and/or incidents to assure immediate and appropriate medical and nursing intervention(s), and for the purpose of pursuing preventative solutions.

 

  1. All employees will be alert to the possibility of accidental injuries caused by safety hazards or resident behaviors.  Any conditions which have the potential to be safety hazards will be reported immediately to the supervisor of the area(s), who will then take prompt and appropriate measures for correction.

 

  1. Accidents and/or injuries involving veteran home residents will be reported immediately to the supervisor and then documented on an appropriate Resident Accident/Incident Report Form contained in the HCIS – MDSEase program.

 

1.  Health Services:

 

a)      Upon notification of an accident and/or incident, the nurse will examine the resident for injuries, provide appropriate care intervention, and initiate a Resident Accident/ Incident Report Form in HCIS - MDSEase.

 

 

RESIDENT RIGHTS                                                                                              04-02-012

                                                                                                                                      -2-

 

REPORTING OF RESIDENT ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS

 

 

 

b)      All accidents and/or incidents resulting in injuries will be referred to the assigned attending physician for follow-up within 24 hours.  The attending physician, or on-call physician during non-administrative hours, will be notified immediately of serious injuries requiring prompt medical intervention.

 

C.     The physician and the nurse will complete the appropriate sections of the Resident Accident/ Incident Report Form after treating the resident.

 

D.     Suspicious and/or significant accidents or injuries are to be reported to the Chief Executive Officer/designee immediately by the Director of Nurses/designee.

 

1. If the accident and/or incident is determined to be an unusual incident or sentinel event, then the Unusual Incident – Sentinel Event Procedure 04-02-013 shall be implemented.

 

2. The Charge Nurse will ensure that notification is provided to the next of kin, guardian or responsible resident representative for all serious injuries, illnesses, transfers to a local hospital, critical condition, injury or death of a resident.  Such notifications will be given within two (2) hours of said occurrence, noting in the medical record with whom they spoke, and the date and time of the call.

 

3. The Chief Executive Officer/designee will notify the Director, Division of Veterans Healthcare Services, by the next business day after the accident/incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revised:  November 1996

Revised:  July 2007