The PCREE Documentation Checklist Surveyors Actually Want to See

Video 2 of 3 in the PCREE Compliance Video Series — the five-item file surveyors actually look for.

Quick gut check: if a surveyor walked in today and asked to see your PCREE documentation, could someone on your team hand them a complete, organized file in under five minutes? Not "give me till end of day" — five minutes, while they're standing there.

If the honest answer is no, this article — and the video above — is for you. Here's the exact five-item checklist that should be in your PCREE file for every piece of equipment, in the order a surveyor would look for it.

Why Documentation Matters More Than the Test Itself

Here's the mindset shift: the test itself is table stakes. Nearly every facility gets the actual testing done. What separates a clean survey from a citation is almost always the paperwork behind it — because that's what a surveyor can actually review quickly, and it's what proves the testing was real, current, and performed by someone qualified.

Think of it less as "records" and more as your evidence file.

Item 1: Equipment Inventory & Tagging

A complete equipment inventory, with each device physically tagged or labeled to match its record. Every patient care related electrical device in the facility should be on a list — make, model, a unique ID or asset tag, and its location. That same ID should be physically on the device, so anyone can walk up to a bed or a pump and match it to the paperwork in about five seconds.

Item 2: Technician Certification Proof

Proof of technician certification, filed with the results — not off in a separate binder. For every test, keep the technician's name, credential type (ideally CBET), and a certification number or copy of the certificate. It needs to be current and it needs to live next to the test results, because that's where a surveyor is going to look for it. See Video 1 for why this specific item is the most commonly missed one.

Item 3: Test Dates & Next-Due Tracking

Clear test dates and a next-due date for every device. Annual means annual — but "annual" for dozens of devices tested on different rolling anniversaries gets messy fast. A simple due-date tracker, even a spreadsheet sorted by next-due date, prevents anything from quietly slipping past its window.

Item 4: Pass/Fail Results & Remediation Notes

The actual pass or fail result for each device — and if something failed, documentation of what was done about it. A failed device isn't automatically a citation. An unaddressed failed device is. If a pump failed and got repaired, pulled from service, or replaced, that action needs a date, written right next to the original failed result.

Item 5: Centralized, Survey-Ready Storage

All of this lives in one place — one binder, or one shared digital folder — not spread across email, a filing cabinet, and a vendor's portal. Remember, these are unannounced visits. Whoever's on-site that day needs to hand over a complete file without calling anyone.

Recap

Five things, in order: equipment inventory and tagging, technician certification proof, test dates and next-due tracking, pass/fail results with remediation notes, and one centralized, ready-to-hand-over file. If part of the gap is actually finding a CBET-certified technician to do this testing in the first place, that's the other half of what PCREETest.com does — a free service that matches your facility with a certified tech in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be in a PCREE test file for each device?
An inventory entry with a matching physical tag, proof of technician certification, the test date and next-due date, the pass/fail result with remediation notes if it failed, and centralized storage.

Is a failed PCREE test automatically a citation?
No — an unaddressed failed device is. Surveyors expect a paper trail showing the failure was caught and corrected.

How should PCREE records be stored for a survey?
In one centralized binder or shared digital folder that can be produced in minutes during an unannounced visit.

Next in this series: the four questions to ask before hiring a biomedical technician for PCREE testing. Watch Video 3 →

Reviewed by the PCREE Test Compliance Team · Written by Andrew Bouldin