While working seemingly endless days, many nurses do not realize the many influences that impact their professional practice or the way client care is provided. In addition to their employer, healthcare organizations are highly regulated by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. In addition to rules set by governments, most medical facilities want to be accredited by the Joint Commission (TJC), a non-governmental regulatory agency. TJC does not have the authority to cite or fine a facility for failing to meet standards or respond to warnings from its custodian (The Joint Commission, 2011). However, these standards carry considerable weight due to the loss of millions of dollars from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Joint Commission is an independent, non-profit organization, founded more than 60 years ago. TJC is governed by a board that includes doctors, nurses and consumers. TJC sets the standards by which the quality of health care is measured in America and around the world. TJC evaluates the quality and safety of care for more than 19,000 healthcare organizations (The Joint Commission, 2011). To maintain and obtain accreditation, facilities must undergo a thorough on-site review by a team of Joint Commission healthcare professionals at least once every three years. The purpose of the review is to evaluate their performance in areas that affect customer service (The Joint Commission, 2011). Accreditation can then be awarded based on the organizations level of compliance with TJC standards; however, a site review is not a guarantee of accreditation. To achieve accreditation, TJC sets rigorous standards for safety and quality of care and evaluates organizations to see whether or not they meet their standards. After the survey, TJC provided… half document… a strategic business tool that helps hospitals meet and exceed these expectations. The agencies mentioned above help hospitals be all they can be. Works CitedAmerican Nurses Credentialing Center. (2011). American Nurses Credentialing Center. Retrieved July 19, 2011, from http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/Magnet-CertificationForms.aspxFenner, K. (2011, April 18). Accreditation: the strategic choice of the CEO of a hospital. Journal of Hospital Accreditation and Compliance. Retrieved from http://www.compass-clinical.com/hospital-accreditation/2011/04/accreditation-a-hospital-ceos-strategic-choice/Healthcare Facility Accreditation Program. (n.d.). Healthcare facility accreditation program. Retrieved July 17, 2011, from http://www.hfap.org The Joint Commission. (2011). The Mixed Commission. Retrieved July 16, 2011, from http://www.jointcommission.org/