Staff Work Schedules: It’s Time to Get Flexible—and Realistic—to Improve Retention

Flexible scheduling, which allows staff members to opt for shorter shifts, longer shifts, add-on shifts, and other staffing flexibilities, can be a strong tool for both recruitment and retention in long-term care, says Jasmine Travers, PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, assistant professor at the New York University Rory Meyers College of …

Staff Performance: When Expectations Don’t Match Reality

To implement the minimum nurse staffing standards for registered nurses (RNs) and nurse aides (NAs) and the increased on-site RN requirement in the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final rule starting as early as May 2026 on some requirements for urban …

Improve Staff Retention by Following Hiring Best Practices and Elevating the Onboarding Process

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss how the director of nursing services (DNS) can improve staff retention through the onboarding process. Additional Resources:

Turnover and Staff Retention – Understand the Differences and How to Track These Metrics

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss turnover and staff retention, what the differences are and how to track these metrics. They will also cover what the …

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Age-Friendly Health Systems: Guide to Care of Older Adults in Nursing Homes

The Age-Friendly Health Systems: Guide to Care of Older Adults in Nursing Homes and the Age-Friendly Health Systems: A Workbook for Nursing Home Teams are designed to be used simultaneously to help care teams in SNFs and NFs “prepare for, test, and implement a specific set of evidence-based or evidence-informed …

Prepare for a Collaboration with Therapy Using SBAR

Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual states that every resident must receive treatment and care to promote the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. This optimal treatment and care requires collaboration. When the nursing department involves therapy in discussions about changes in residents’ conditions, they can improve resident …

The Importance of Facility Culture

In this podcast, Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, and Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, discuss facility culture—what it is, why it’s important, and how listeners can assess and implement strategies to improve their culture. Additional …

The Art of Delegation for the Director of Nursing Services: Safe Practices and Strategies to Overcome Common Challenges

The role of the director of nursing services (DNS) in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) can be stressful due to the number of competing priorities in each day. Delegation, when done properly, can help relieve some stressors while ensuring tasks are completed. In contrast, failure to delegate can lead to …

AAPACN’s Nursing Department Culture Assessment and Improvement Worksheet

To improve staff retention, the director of nursing services (DNS) and administrator should regularly assess the nursing department’s culture. AAPACN’s Nursing Department Culture Assessment and Improvement Worksheet can help the DNS and administrator review multiple areas of their department’s culture that they have observed and adjust where needed. This tool …

Improve Staffing and Quality Care Through Individualized Culture Change of the Nursing Department

Staff turnover is a nationwide problem for nursing homes and it may be worse than previous reports have suggested, according to a study of newly available Payroll-Based Journal data published in the National Library of Medicine. The study also noted a possible negative relationship between a facility’s overall Five-Star rating …