Pressure Injuries: Assessing for Risk Factors and Implementing Interventions – Nursing In-service Education

Participants will learn to define pressure injury, shear, and friction and complete a risk assessment and identify interventions that address the risk factors for pressure injuries. Download now. For permission to use or reproduce this tool in full or in part, please complete a permissions form. 

MDS Section K Online Training: Height, Weight, & Nutritional Approaches for SNFs (8/21)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the assessment and coding of K0200: Height and Weight and K0500: Nutritional Approaches. This 30-minute course is intended for providers in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and is designed to be used …

Intramuscular Injections—Best Practices for Safe Vaccine Administration (8/21)

This Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) resource on best practices for safe vaccine administration is intended to support experienced vaccinators and others administering the COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and staff. The Intramuscular Injections: Best Practices for Safe Vaccine Administration in Nursing Homes resource offers guidance before, during and …

Post-Fall Assessments – Nursing In-service Education

Participants will identify the necessary components of the nurse’s initial post-fall assessment, name potential complications and injuries that can occur from a fall, and identify nursing interventions applicable to stabilize a resident during the initial post-fall assessment. Download now. For permission to use or reproduce this tool in full or …

Nurse Aide (CNA) In-Service Training and Competency Tracker Tool

F947, Required in-service training for nurse aides, requires that each certified nursing assistant (CNA) complete a minimum of 12 hours of in-service training per year starting on the CNA’s hire date. Nurse leaders can customize this tool to include the competencies outlined in their facility assessment and the CNA’s performance …

Q&A: How do you determine “while a resident” or “while not a resident” when a resident goes out to the hospital and returns?

Question: How do you determine “while a resident” or “while not a resident” when a resident goes out to the hospital and returns? Answer from Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, QCP, ICC, IPCO: The line between “while not a resident” and “while a resident” is basically the Entry Date …

Introduction to the SNF QRP Web-Based Training From CMS (8/21)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course for those who are new to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP). This course is designed to provide a general overview of the program as well as a variety of links and resources …

5 Things NACs Can Practice Every Day to Improve Their Role

Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs), or MDS coordinators, have an important and challenging role in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). From managing the MDS/RAI process, creating individualized care plans for residents, identifying significant changes, ensuring accurate reimbursement with the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), keeping track of Quality Measures and Five Star, and …

TIP: CMS Scheduled Care Compare Refresh with Revised Discharge to Community Measure Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discovered an error in the calculations for the Discharge to Community measure and will be updating the Care Compare website with the corrected data on Sept. 29, 2021. The data will be based on claims submitted during the FY2018-2019 reporting period (Jan. …

Summer Heat and Care Planning

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MT, AAPACN vice president of education and certification strategy and Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, discuss heat-related risks to residents, what to consider when care planning, as well as the impacts that heat- and exposure-related conditions have on MDS coding.