Weekly Medication Storage Inspection Tool

Correct medication storage is a component of the nurse leader’s responsibility and should be part of their rounds. The AAPACN Weekly Medication Storage Inspection tool assists the reviewer to conduct inspections for compliance, and also helps to uncover important potential improvement areas such as labeling, expiration dates, and controlled substances. …

AAPACN Joins Other Healthcare Associations Urging Congress to Support the “SAFE TO WORK Act”

AAPACN, along with dozens of healthcare organizations, urge Congress to support the timely, targeted, and temporary liability relief provisions contained in S. 4317, the “SAFE TO WORK Act.” These crucial protections would safeguard healthcare workers, providers, and facilities, as well as businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions against unfair lawsuits …

Advance Care Planning: How to Have the Conversation

Editor’s note: This is the third article in a multipart series about advance care planning and how to operationalize an effective program in nursing homes. Find the first article explaining the basics of what it is and why it matters here and the second article explaining how to use advance …

Daily Clinical Rounds Tool

Daily clinical rounds allow the nurse leader opportunities to connect with staff and residents, gain valuable information, reinforce consistency of standards, and model clinical leadership behaviors. The AAPACN Daily Clinical Rounds tool assists the nurse leader to conduct rounds for compliance along with how to look for potential improvements for …

Mental Health Tips for Long-Term Care Professionals

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and AAPACN recognizes the struggles long-term care professionals are facing right now to keep their mental health balanced during to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses may be feeling stressed, tired, overwhelmed, or depressed by the hard decisions they must make every day and the situations …

Q&A: Is overseeing the Therapy department within the scope of the DNS position?

Question: I am a relatively new DNS and my job description includes overseeing the Therapy Department. Is this within my scope? Answer: In most SNFs, the therapy department usually has its own director/manager, with ultimate oversight by the administrator. But in smaller facilities, such as yours, sometimes those oversight roles are shared. …

AAPACN Education Foundation 2020 Scholarship Recipients

This Nurse’s Week, we honor four rising stars in long-term and post-acute care. The AAPACN Education Foundation positively impacts the lives of 1.4 million people living in nursing homes by providing scholarships for nurses seeking their RN license and degrees in nursing. In 2020, the AAPACN Education Foundation awarded more …