AAPACN Tools for the Director of Nursing Services

Every month, AAPACN experts design tools that help our members perform their jobs with more ease, breaking down processes, synthesizing information, and aiding in ways to track required data. To help directors of nursing services (DNSs) easily find what they need fast, AAPACN has put together the following list of …

CMS QSSAM memo: Reminder: Upcoming Deadline for Sprinkler System Requirement

Reminder: Upcoming Deadline for Sprinkler System Requirement for Existing Health Care Occupancies in High-Rise Buildings Memo # QSSAM-26-02-ALL Posting Date 2026-03-09 Fiscal Year 2026 Downloads Memorandum Summary • This memorandum is intended to remind CMS-certified facilities classified by the Life Safety Code (LSC) as existing heath care occupancies and located …

Why What You Do Matters: Rediscovering Purpose, Pride, and Power in CNA Work

This inspiring in-service reminds certified nursing assistants (CNAs) why their role is so vital to resident safety, dignity, and quality of life. Rather than focusing on tasks or regulations, the session encourages CNAs to reconnect with the purpose behind their work and the impact they have on residents every day. …

Aligned at the Top: The DNS/Administrator Partnership

In this LTC DON Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Lauren Stenson, MSN, RN, CNDLTC, QCP, DNS-CT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss how directors of nursing services and administrators can strengthen their partnership, improve communication, and navigate the …

CDC Project Firstline Health Professions Infection Control Education Toolkit

CDC’s Project Firstline released a new resource to support teaching faculty in bringing infection control concepts into the classroom. The new toolkit includes adaptable educational resources, including a journal club with discussion guides and learning activities that can be integrated into health professions and public health curricula to help prepare …

CMS Healthcare Provider Guidance: Emergency Preparedness Frequent Citations

Emergency Preparedness for Every Emergency Effective Health Care Provider Emergency Planning Sound, timely planning provides the foundation for effective emergency management. The response to an emergency can impact an entire community and can involve numerous medical and public health entities, including health care provider systems, public health departments, emergency medical services, …

TIP: CDC Releases New Sepsis Prevention Tool

Nursing home residents are at risk of developing infections that can lead to sepsis, which is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention to prevent severe morbidity and mortality. The Sepsis Prevention Assessment Tool (SPAT) for Nursing Homes released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identifies gaps in …

Q&A: If the registered dietitian documents a resident is at risk for malnutrition within the MDS look-back period, can “risk for malnutrition” be coded on the MDS section I5600?

Question: If the registered dietitian documents a resident is at risk for malnutrition within the MDS look-back period, can “risk for malnutrition” be coded on the MDS section I5600? Answer from Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC: Since this is section I, the documentation can ONLY come from a …