3 Common QAPI Questions and Answers Nurse Leaders Need to Know

While most skilled nursing facility (SNF) leaders are aware of QAPI and have executed a QAPI plan, many view QAPI itself as nebulous, abstract, or vague. This lack of clarity complicates QAPI execution. This, in turn, encumbers QAPI’s potential to prompt continuous improvement. In the environment of value-based care, SNFs …

Retain Nursing Home Staff with Stay Interviews and an Action Plan

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 …

Turnover and Retention of the Director of Nursing Services (DNS) Position

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 …

Achieving Personal and Professional Goals

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 …

The Daily Clinical Brief Sets a Nursing Unit Up for Success

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 …

Utilizing the Wound Nurse Role to Champion Skin Integrity

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 …

In-Service Education Improvements for Regulatory Compliance and Staff Competency

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: …

Creating a Process for Compliance with F947, Required In-Service Training for Nurse Aides

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 …