Almost all nursing homes are currently staffing-challenged, and that has a direct impact on the quality of the documentation available to support MDS coding, points out Brenda Sowash, RN, RAC-CT, director of clinical assessments, standards, and practices for Trinity Health Senior Communities in Livonia, MI. “Nursing staff have to prioritize …
Nurses use a common problem-solving technique in root-cause analysis called the “Five Whys.” This method asks “why?” as many times as needed to determine the root cause of the problem. Sometimes this process requires more than five “whys” to reveal the root cause; other times it can take less. When …
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, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss key insights to determine section GG usual performance.
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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 …
The care area assessments (CAAs) are a vital part of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process to develop a plan for individualized resident care. Taking shortcuts with the CAA process can result in generic care plans that fail to recognize the unique needs, choices, and preferences of each resident. Understanding …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss strategies for simplifying the care plan process. Additional Resource:
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Nursing homes are required to establish a surveillance system (i.e., “the routine, ongoing, and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data”) as part of their infection prevention and control program (IPCP) under F-tag 880 (Infection Prevention and Control) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual. This surveillance …
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 the opportunity for AAPACN members to advocate for long-term care through AAPACN’s Director of Nursing Services—Expert Advisory Panel (DNS-EAP). Additional …
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The interrupted-stay policy in the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) of the Medicare Part A Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) governs when multiple SNF stays are combined into a single interrupted stay (i.e., one continued stay that includes one or more interruption windows) vs. when they are treated …
In the ever-evolving realm of healthcare data management, the transition of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) submission process to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) in April 2023 marked a significant milestone for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Replacing the outdated Quality Improvement and Evaluation System Assessment and Submission …
