Should the director of nursing be involved in reviewing potential new residents prior to admission?
The DNS is responsible for ensuring there is a process to screen and review referrals to ensure the facility can meet the resident’s needs. The DNS may personally conduct this screening or may delegate it to another qualified nurse. The nurse who screens referrals must ensure that admission decisions consider factors that converge in person-centered care: resident needs, staff competencies and coverage, and facility resources.
Foremost, the screening nurse must determine if the nursing staff has the skills and capabilities needed to care for a potential resident. If the resident has a medication, treatment or diagnosis staff are unfamiliar with, the facility must provide education to ensure competent care and resident safety prior to admission.
If the patient requires complex medical care staff cannot provide, the patient may need a different facility with this ability. Consider residents with tracheostomies; federal regulation F726 outlines competencies and skill sets needed to safely care for the resident. Once complete, the screening nurse provides her assessment of needs to the DNS, and along with the federal regulations, the DNS evaluates the facility’s capabilities and organizes training.
Nursing review of potential admissions also must ensure that proper equipment is available and ready upon the resident’s arrival. Unmet equipment needs may jeopardize resident or staff safety. Therefore, the admission cannot occur until medical equipment arrives. The DNS or the screening nurse personally screening potential admissions ensures the facility has the resources to adequately care for residents when they arrive.
