(Policies & Procedures + Quality Management) ÷ Education & Training = √ Accreditation
They aren’t just binders and long documents that everybody loathes. Establishing Policies & Procedures (P&P) that are in-line with an agency-defined Quality Management (QM) and Education & Training (E&T) Programs is quite simple — they work in concert with one another.
While there will always be static policies in place like dress code/uniform, infection control, etc., your program’s vision, mission statement and scope of practice will direct many other P&P, including medical protocols, QM and E&T.
Some programs may choose to have separate “Administrative” and “Clinical/Operational” policies in place. Others may choose to combine them into one manual. Regardless of preference, some policies will be dictated by local, state and national/federal laws and will require cohesiveness with the program’s scope and mission.
Policy updates may derive from your QM Program. For example, if a medication error is discovered, a policy update may require documentation of all crew members verifying the medication to be given.
An agency’s policies will ultimately support and be intertwined with its QM and E&T programs. These polices and programs, which are designed and established by leadership, are dictated by the vision, mission statement and scope of the company’s practice.
The most vital part to maintaining a robust series of P&P is compliance.