Pain Relief Without Pills: A Guide to Non-Pharmacological Interventions

Pain management is an essential component of nursing care. Non-pharmacological pain management interventions can effectively complement or reduce the need for medication. This tool will review non-pharmacological interventions by type, providing mechanism of action and examples for use. It will also include a comprehensive audit component to track intervention utilization, …

The Facility Assessment: What It Takes to Create an ‘Operational Care Plan’

The revised surveyor guidance in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual that goes into effect on April 28, 2025, does not include any updates to F-tag 838 (Facility Assessment), says Robin Hillier, CPA, STNA, LNHA, RAC-MT, president of RLH Consulting in Westerville, OH. “Revised F838 guidance already went into …

Rethinking Pain Management: Non-pharmacological Solutions for a Holistic Approach

Pain management is an essential piece of the care provided in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) settings. Many residents experience acute or chronic pain due to a variety of conditions, such as postsurgical recovery, arthritis, and neuropathy. Pain traditionally was managed with pharmacological interventions, including narcotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. …

The Basics of Enhanced Barrier Precautions – April 14, 2025

Members and Non-members: FreeContinuing Education: 1 CE hourRecording Date: April 14, 2025Duration: 60 minutesSpeakers: Joan Hebden, MS, RN, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, and Deb Patterson Burdsall, PhD, RN-BC, CIC, LTC-CIP, FAPIC Long-term care (LTC) staff provide high-contact resident care and therefore are frequently exposed to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). During this 60-minute webinar, Joan Hebden, MS, RN, …

Shifting Mindsets on Infection Prevention and Control: From Policy Adherence to Personal Ownership for Staff

An effective Infection Prevention and Control Program (IPCP) goes beyond compliance with policies and ideally reflects a cultural shift toward personal responsibility. The nurse leader has a key role in helping healthcare professionals recognize their part in preventing infections and understanding how their actions directly impact resident safety. The goal …

Enhancing DNS Leadership Skills for Team Resiliency

In this podcast, 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 can advance their leadership skills to help their teams be more resilient to the evolving …

The Essential Guide to Infection Prevention and Control In-service Education

The Essential Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in-service education will equip staff with the knowledge and strategies to identify and reduce the risk of several types of infections including respiratory, foodborne, urinary tract, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). Staff will also be empowered to recognize early symptoms and …

Self-Care and Why It Matters in Healthcare

In this podcast, Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, director of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, discuss self-care and the importance of taking a break.

Past Noncompliance Corrective Action Template

Past noncompliance occurs when noncompliance previously existed, but the facility has already corrected the deficiency and is in substantial compliance at the time of a current survey (CMS, 2024). Facility leadership can use this template to assist during the correction process to show surveyors sufficient evidence that past noncompliance has …