kwvath

Latest Activity

1. INFECTION CONTROL: New Bed Pan Washing Regulations

   kwvath replied to kwvath's topic in LTC Directors

   Thanks. For those that take to the soiled utility room...really? Carry a nasty bed pan through the hall? How does that work?

2. INFECTION CONTROL: New Bed Pan Washing Regulations

   kwvath posted a topic in LTC Directors

   According to recent CMS updates, I read that facilities who are washing bed pans in resident sinks will receive an automatic F441 citation. When I came to LTC from the hospital several years ago, I remembered that I was amazed that facilities were w...

3. Clinical Ladder for LTC

   kwvath posted a topic in LTC Directors

   I am a former ICU nurse working as an ADON/Unit Manager at a SNF. When I worked at the hospital we had a clinical ladder program (RN I, RN II, etc.) that encouraged personal growth, employee retention, and increased job satisfaction. In all my search...

4. call offs

   kwvath replied to worldqueenie's topic in LTC Directors

   Our facility works 12-hr shifts. Each employee works 72hrs/pay period and gets paid for 80. If the employee calls off, they loose their 8 hrs of bonus pay for that pay period. Amazingly, the staff still call-off but the call-off rate is much lower th...

5. behavior monitoring

   kwvath replied to lpntoo's topic in LTC Directors

   It is my understanding that insomnia is not a behavior per se. However, according to a state surveyor who was recently in our meeting, she informed us that we must be documenting non-pharmacologic interventions (darkening room, adjusting get-up times...

6. Licensed Nursing Home Administrator

   kwvath replied to Aviationurse's topic in Geriatric

   RUN. I work in a very poor facility but it is not even close to being as bad as the one you were in. Glad you got out. I am an ADON in a LTC facility and am getting ready to start the AIT program. It varies from state-to-state but if you have a bache...

7. Help! How do I sign my name??

   kwvath replied to Epona's topic in General Nursing

   I agree with OneKidneyNurse - I have always heard that you put the college degrees first, followed by the professional license - the thought is disciplinary action may take away an RN license but they will not take away your college degree. Also, I a...

8. SNF Transitional Care Unit: Staffing Ratios

   kwvath posted a topic in LTC Directors

   I am an ADON at a skilled nursing facility and am specifically managing the Transitional Care Unit at our facility. Our nurses are constantly saying that they are understaffed and our corporate admins are always saying, "no, you're over-staffed." I h...

9. ADON pay scale

   kwvath replied to Schmoo1022's topic in LTC Directors

   New ADON with 3 years ICU experience and no LTC - started at $62,000/year.

10. Daily Nursing Rounds in Skilled Rehab Unit

    kwvath replied to kwvath's topic in LTC Directors

    Thanks for the input! Unfortunately, we are already doing that. It works well but the things that are falling through the cracks are the things that aren't being addressed or aren't being brought to the doctor's attention (i.e. progressive mental sta...

11. Daily Nursing Rounds in Skilled Rehab Unit

    kwvath posted a topic in LTC Directors

    I am a new ADON in an LTC center and am the unit manager for the Skilled/Rehab unit. In the month I have been there, I have found that serious care issues are falling through the cracks and changes in condition are being missed. In an effort to stay ...

12. Patient ID Bracelets in LTC?

    kwvath posted a topic in Geriatric

    I am an RN and just started a job at an LTC center this past week as an ADON. My former job was in critical care. QUICK QUESTION: I was extremely surprised to find that not a single patient had any type of ID bracelet or name badge. I was hanging an ...

13. Tips for Jump-Starting Dying LTC

    kwvath posted a topic in LTC Directors

    I was just hired for an ADON position (I am an RN/BSN) at a 100-bed LTC facility. It has been a failing facility on the verge of being shut down for the past several years. They have just had a complete turn-over in administration and the current tea...

14. soon to Be RN and no job YET? Commute?

    kwvath replied to gelousstudent's topic in General Nursing

    I commuted 46 miles for 2 years to my ICU job and it was a great chance for me to energize, gather my thoughts, and get ready for the day/night. On the way home, it gave me a chance to defuse and leave work at work before I got home to my wife. Had a...

15. Overdone with LTC....

    kwvath replied to PeacefulHeart's topic in Geriatric

    No worries Peacefulheart. I know that the media says that the recession hasn't hit health care but it has. I am an ICU nurse and was wanting to switch jobs and it took me forever to get a new one. I finally got one but it took calling places one-by-o...