Two Types of PCREE Checklists
Before diving in, it's worth distinguishing between two related but different PCREE checklists:
- The inspection checklist — used by your biomedical technician during the annual testing visit to record each device's measurements, pass/fail results, and observations. This is the form that becomes your compliance record. (Download our free PCREE inspection checklist PDF.)
- The survey readiness checklist — used by your administrator or compliance officer to verify that all required documentation is in order before a CMS or Joint Commission survey. This is the checklist you're reading now.
Both matter. This article focuses on survey readiness — the steps you take to confirm your PCREE program is defensible before a surveyor arrives.
The 4-Week PCREE Survey Readiness Checklist
Week 4 Out: Inventory and Coverage Audit
- Pull your current equipment inventory and compare it against a room-by-room walk of all patient care areas
- Identify any devices in use that are not on the inventory — add them immediately
- Check the test due date for every device on the inventory — flag anything overdue or due within 60 days
- Verify that resident-owned electrical equipment (powered wheelchairs, CPAP machines, personal fans) was inspected at admission and is documented
- Confirm your equipment management plan is current and states specific testing intervals with documented risk rationale
Week 3 Out: Schedule Testing for Any Gaps
- Contact your biomedical vendor to schedule testing for any overdue devices or devices approaching their due date
- Confirm the testing visit will produce device-level documentation: individual test reports with measurements, pass/fail per device, and technician credentials
- Pull test reports from all prior visits and verify they include: test date, device ID, specific electrical measurements, and technician name and credentials
- If any prior reports are incomplete (e.g., only a summary without device-level data), contact your vendor for corrected documentation now — not during the survey
Week 2 Out: Documentation Assembly
- Assemble your survey-ready binder (physical or digital) with clearly labeled sections:
- Equipment Management Plan
- Current Equipment Inventory
- Testing records — most recent cycle, organized by device
- Technician credentials for each vendor used
- Corrective action log — any failed devices and resolution documentation
- Receptacle testing records for patient rooms
- Verify that inspection stickers on devices in patient care areas match your documentation dates
- Check that out-of-service devices are properly tagged and segregated from the care environment
Week 1 Out: Final Checks
- Walk the facility with your maintenance director — look for any extension cords used as permanent wiring, visibly damaged cords, or missing inspection stickers
- Confirm your corrective action log is up to date with any citations from your last survey, including evidence of correction
- Brief your maintenance director and DON on what to expect during an LSC survey and who will retrieve documentation if a surveyor requests it
- Confirm documentation can be retrieved within five minutes of any surveyor request — this is the practical standard
Surveyor request test: Could you hand a complete PCREE documentation package to a surveyor right now, without searching or apologizing for gaps? If not, that's your prep priority for this week.
The Year-Round PCREE Readiness Posture
The facilities that perform best on surveys don't prep for surveys — they maintain survey-ready documentation as a continuous operational practice. This means three things:
First, a single person owns the PCREE program. They know where every document is, when the next testing visit is scheduled, and what the corrective action status is for any prior findings. Without a named owner, documentation drifts.
Second, new equipment is added to the inventory and scheduled for testing before it enters patient use — not after the next survey. A process for this doesn't have to be complex. A simple form completed at delivery is enough.
Third, the vendor relationship includes documentation requirements in writing. Your biomedical service contract should specify that each visit produces device-level reports with measurements and credentials. Vendors who default to summary reports should be replaced.
If you don't have a current biomedical vendor, PCREE Test can connect your facility with a certified local technician who provides complete survey-ready documentation as part of every service visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should we schedule PCREE testing before a survey?
Ideally, PCREE testing should be scheduled on an annual cycle regardless of survey timing — not triggered by a survey. If you're preparing for a known survey window and testing is overdue, schedule immediately. Most biomedical vendors can complete a standard SNF inspection within one to two weeks of scheduling. Do not wait until the week before a survey to discover you have overdue testing.
Can we self-certify PCREE compliance without a third-party vendor?
No. NFPA 99 requires testing by someone with demonstrated competence in biomedical or electrical safety — typically a CBET-credentialed technician or equivalent. Self-certification by general maintenance staff without documented qualifications does not satisfy the standard and would be cited during a survey. The technician's credentials must be documented alongside the test results.
What if our last PCREE testing report only shows a pass/fail for the whole facility, not per device?
That report will not satisfy a surveyor's documentation review. CMS and NFPA 99 require device-level records — each device tested, the specific measurements, and a per-device result. Contact your vendor immediately and request device-level documentation retroactively if they have the records. If they cannot provide it, schedule a new inspection with a vendor who produces proper documentation, and note in your corrective action log that you identified and resolved the documentation gap.
Do we need to keep completed PCREE checklists and test reports on site?
Yes. Records must be available for surveyor review on-site. Digital records accessible within minutes are acceptable — cloud or server-based systems are fine as long as they can be produced immediately. Most facilities keep physical binders as a backup. CMS doesn't mandate a specific storage format, but the practical standard is: if you can't produce it in the building within five minutes, it doesn't exist from a survey perspective.
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