Resident harm is every nurse’s nightmare. Four years ago, a nurse administered the wrong medication to a patient, which resulted in the patient’s death. RaDonda Vaught was recently criminally convicted of negligent homicide and neglect of an impaired adult. Although the defense argued that the error was a result of …
Since the start of the pandemic, the healthcare system has experienced significant job losses, but in recent months, all sectors have slowly begun to recover—except for nursing homes and assisted living communities (AHCA, 2021). Despite record employee departures, there are nursing home staff who have stayed throughout the pandemic, as …
Imagine sitting in a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) meeting while different team members take turns reporting count data or the number of occurrences of an issue in the month. For example, the director of nursing services (DNS) might share two residents had unplanned weight changes, 10 falls happened, …
Causes and Contributing Factors of DNS Turnover The 2021 AAPACN survey found that 37% of DNS respondents changed their job in the last 12 months, and 40% intend to change their job within the next 12 months. In general, common reasons people cite for voluntarily leaving their position include: Limited …
It’s the New Year, and that means it’s time to set goals. These are often lofty aspirations to achieve amazing feats, like transforming into a sleek powerhouse of muscle reflecting the epitome of health. However, if history repeats itself, by February, convenient vending machine snacks will have infiltrated the low-sugar …
Some 4,000 years ago, ancient Babylonians started making New Year’s resolutions, hoping to avoid famine, illness, and other punishment they believed their gods would cast upon them. Given the motivation behind the beginning of this practice, it’s logical to assume the Babylonians followed through with their resolutions. Fast forward to …
Nurse leaders who hear comments like “I didn’t know that happened,” “I didn’t realize that was important,” or “I didn’t know you wanted me to do that” from the charge nurses and certified nurse aides (CNAs) may feel frustrated and confused about why a gap exists between their expectations and …
Imagine if the infection preventionist’s sole responsibility were to treat residents who have an infection. This suggestion seems odd because it ignores the scope and breadth of activities necessary to control and prevent infections for all residents. Yet when considering the wound nurse’s role, this professional’s time is often consumed …
An effective in-service program not only ensures competency and meets regulatory requirements, but also incorporates many learning styles and fosters the enjoyment of learning. Given the resources that a facility must dedicate to its in-service education program, it’s important that nurse leaders review their program regularly. Ask the following questions: …
Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual details the requirements for F947 (Required in-service training for nurse aides). To comply with this regulation, a facility’s nurse aide in-service training program must: Ensure competence of all nurse aides and address areas of weakness as determined in the nurse aide’s performance review …
