With so many Quality Measures originating from three different payment initiative programs, it’s a lot to keep track of. AAPACN’s At-a-Glance QM, QRP, and VBP tool organizes all of the measures for you. This tool has been updated with the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual Version 18.0 (January 2026), the Five-Star Quality Rating System …
Respiratory viruses carry the potential for serious illness and can lead to hospitalization. Vaccination is an integral part of a proactive infection control program that combats these viruses. Nurse leaders can use this toolkit to audit and track influenza, pneumococcal, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations. Updated: Oct. 8, …
In this LTC DON Chat podcast episode, Part 4 of the Nursing Facility Systems Series, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Lauren Stenson, DNP, RN, CNDLTC, QCP-MT, DNS-MT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss the essential role of effective admission and discharge …
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Facility leadership must evaluate the effectiveness, reliability, and compliance of a clinical system in an operational setting. AAPACN’s System Review Scorecard helps facility leaders identify the strengths, gaps, and risks of a system, so they can assess overall performance quickly and determine if a system needs adjustments or any immediate …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new recommendations for healthcare workers regarding working with conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye. New recommendations state, “For healthcare personnel with suspected or confirmed infectious conjunctivitis, including epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, exclude from work for the duration of their symptoms.” Read more information, …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. A resident experiences a fall the previous night and was assessed. The provider and family are notified as indicated, documentation is completed, and the interdisciplinary team will review the incident during their morning clinical meeting. But the investigation …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare often feels distant from the realities of long-term and post-acute care. For the director of nursing services (DNS), the immediate priorities remain staffing, resident outcomes, and survey readiness. Yet AI …
In this LTC NAC chat podcast episode, host Kim Hicks sits down with Jackie Vance, the Real Nurse Jackie, and gerontologist Amy Chidester to argue that incontinence isn’t a hygiene task. It’s the hidden root cause behind falls, skin breakdown, and UTIs. They trace how unmanaged incontinence drives survey citations, …
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The PDPM At-a-Glance tool breaks down the complex methodology of each component used in the Patient-Driven Payment Model—Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Nursing, and Non-Therapy Ancillary (NTA). This tool organizes key payment information to give the nurse assessment coordinator and interdisciplinary team quick access to the …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual v8.0 and accompanying files are now available. These materials serve as an update to the specifications used to calculate quality measures that are included in the SNF QRP and will be effective beginning October 1, 2026. The …
