Competencies matter
It's not necessarily what you know. It's also how effectively you can evaluate—and demonstrate—what you know. And, that you know what you're supposed to know...you know?
I don't know if there's ever been a more challenging time for hiring and onboarding staff who actually end up staying. I suppose there's a lot of variability in that regard, and kudos to the folks who aren't feeling this pinch—hopefully there are more than appears to be the case from where I'm standing.
Although there are no regulatory mandated licensing or certifications for the plant operation engineer(s) or staff responsible for plant operations or facilities services, there must be evidence that the person(s) in this role understand the major systems and processes that support the physical environment in healthcare. Certainly, in the trades there is a hierarchy of experience, expertise, etc., which aids in the establishment of practical expectations of the job and can be brought into any conversations dealing with evaluations. But what about compliance stuff that has to do with the understanding and interpretation of code-related stuff? Presumably there's some crossover, depending on the trade. I would expect that an electrician would have a pretty good working knowledge of the Electrical Code (NFPA 70), but NFPA 72 Fire Alarm Code, maybe not as much. And, if you are lucky enough to have a documentation coordinator and they are reliable enough to be used to "chase" contractors—how detailed is their knowledge of what is actually required of the contractors? Missing paperwork is one thing, but what about device counts that don't match previous reports or what if there's a piece of documentation that needs to state something clearly and doesn't quite make it.
As with all of these aspirational conversations, it's always nice to see what the regulators have to say about such stuff, which ends on this happy note: "Organizations must be able to provide evidence that staff or vendors performing these duties possess the necessary skills to carry out these duties competently. Failure to provide evidence of compliance with this requirement during a survey will result in a requirement for improvement."
I think we can take it on faith that the survey of the physical environment will continue to focus on generating findings (how else will the accreditation organizations be able to demonstrate the competency of their surveyors), so, what evidence can be provided that everyone in the mix (vendors included) are sufficiently competent to carry out their assigned duties? This may be something of a stretch, but there's no reason to think it couldn't happen (unless someone in an official capacity says that it couldn't, and even then...), so you might want to start kicking the competency tires before they get kicked for you.
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.