SNF QRP: Where Is It? Where Is It Going?

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) today must manage more than 40 Quality Measures (QMs) from several different programs: the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 QMs, Five-Star Quality Rating System, SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program, and SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). The scope of quality management and improvement can be overwhelming, and …

MDS Tools to Make the NAC’s Job Easier

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialists for AAPACN, discuss AAPACN tools that make the nurse assessment coordinator’s (NAC’s) job easier. Additional Resources:

MDS Coding Criteria for Restorative Nursing Programs

Restorative nursing programs must meet specific criteria to code on the MDS. Failure to meet these criteria will result in inability to capture restorative nursing on the MDS. Nurse assessment coordinators can use the MDS Coding Criteria for Restorative Nursing Programs tool to audit documentation and provide education to nurses …

HHS Office of Civil Rights: Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities Final Rule

AGENCY: Office for Civil Rights, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Final rule and interpretation. SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is issuing this final rule regarding …

How the Occupational Therapist Can Collaborate with the Director of Nursing Services

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Colleen Oakley, OTR/L NHA RAC-CT, senior director of operations for Rehab America and treasurer and member of the AAPACN Board of Directors, discuss ways that the occupational therapist (OT) can collaborate with the …

How to Hire the Best NP—Even if Someone Else Is Doing the Hiring

The director of nursing services (DNS) in a nursing home often is presented with a newly hired nurse practitioner (NP) or other advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) as a fait accompli (i.e., a done deal), but no matter who is hiring the NP, the DNS should get involved and ask …

Working With NPs and Other APRNs: Learn to Maximize the Benefits

Increasingly, nurse practitioners (NPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), also known as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), work either directly for or closely with nursing homes to improve resident care outcomes—as do physician assistants (PAs). That growth may accelerate as providers transition to more value-based payment models amid the ongoing …