One of the highlights of the AAPACN annual conference each year is the recognition of the year’s award winners. With the 2020 conference now planned as a virtual conference in June, AAPACN will feature the 2020 winners in this blog series every week in April. Please join AAPACN in congratulating …
The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Burn Rate Calculator can help healthcare and non-healthcare systems plan, optimize, and track their PPE inventory. Facilities can use this tool to calculate their average PPE consumption rate or “burn rate.” The tool can estimate how many days a PPE supply will last given current …
Investigations are a necessary component of a facility’s operations. They aid the nurse leader by establishing the facts of the situation, identifying opportunities to improve care and services, and mitigating further safety, legal, and compliance risks. Topics that warrant an investigation include allegations or suspicions of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or …
Being the director of nursing (DON) is challenging, and anyone in the role will surely agree. Having a DON title comes with great rewards and requires lots of skills. I tell new DONs it’s all about having the right tools in your toolbox. Like a mechanic, when you have the …
In Part 1 of this blog series, I talked about how your team communicates with you and how you can set expectations for that communication. In this post, I am going to touch on how you can deal with uncompassionate and abusive employees. Addressing Adverse Staff Within my first few months …
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series, I covered how setting expectations regarding communication and behavior can save you some big headaches over time. Now, let’s discuss the final tool you’ll need to have as a new director of nursing. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Success as a DON depends on …
Question: Does anyone have an ‘International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative’ policy? Answer: The IDDSI framework has many resources and guidance on how to implement the framework. https://iddsi.org/framework/ Consider convening a meeting with the dietitian, ST, dietary manager, and the rep from your food service company to discuss use and implementation. …
In 2019, the Nurse Leader Blog brought you the excitement of the year’s events, inspiring stories, leadership advice, tips for culture change, and much more. Revisit the most popular posts on the Nurse Leader Blog from 2019 below. Looking Forward to the 2019 AANAC and AADNS Conference What a …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes clear that nursing homes should have a sexual expression/intimacy program that supports sexually intimate relationships when possible. Specifically, F607 (Develop/Implement Abuse/Neglect, etc. Policies) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual states: The facility must have and implement written policies and procedures to prevent …
For staff, the holidays can be a busy time full of family gatherings and holiday celebrations, but for our residents, the holidays can be an especially lonely time. Our residents must adjust to so many different circumstances as they age — issues such as physical disability, loss of independence, social …
