We received several survey citations for not collaborating with hospice. How can we improve collaboration to better help our hospice residents while avoiding citations?
Our facility has a list of commonly used diagnoses for newly admitted residents, but we are being told to avoid using such lists. Can you explain why this should be avoided?
I’ve been a director of nursing services for several years. I’m thinking of leaving due to burnout. What can I do to feel rejuvenated?
What tasks should the infection preventionist be assigned? Specific tasks vary, depending on factors like program maturity, resident population, and number and types of infections present. You may want to sort tasks into five broad categories: prevention, identification, investigation, controlling, and reporting. To begin, have your IP conduct a risk assessment to determine facility-specific infection…
How does an OBRA significant change in status assessment impact Medicare Part A payment under the Patient-Driven Payment Model? In the past, a significant change in status assessment (SCSA) could impact the payment of a Medicare Part A resident’s stay. Under PDPM, that is not so. With PDPM, an SCSA can be combined with a…
I am a brand new director of nursing services. What processes and systems do I need to monitor regularly? To ensure residents receive high-quality care, the DNS must oversee clinical and resident systems, as well as performance within those systems. By providing oversight of clinical and resident systems, the DNS enables a timely response to…
We have several residents who fall frequently. How can we decrease the number of falls in our facility? Start by identifying residents who are at risk for falls. Add timely communication about those at risk. Conducting a fall risk assessment is standard practice when a resident is admitted or readmitted. Accuracy and completeness are essential.…
I’ve heard that nurse leaders are now using “stay interviews” to help boost staff retention. What are these and how should I implement them? Stay interviews are one-on-one conversations conducted with high-performing staff, usually annually. This proactive approach allows nurse leaders to listen firsthand to key staff members about what they feel is going well…
The accuracy of the rates is based solely on the accuracy of the 5-Day PPS assessment and its supporting documentation, which will potentially set the rate for the entire Medicare stay.
