More survey tips including Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccine

[mercy1975]

1. Just a reminder that documentation must be given to the resident or family for signature approval for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination. The regulation now notes that the family and/or resident must have been notified every year regarding the vaccine and all side effect,etc and must sign that they have read and understood the material.
   
2. Briggs has a great form.
   
3. The vaccination time is from October 1 through March 31.

Audit your call light response time. The surveyors will be doing this.

All call lights should be answered within 15 minutes.

The surveyors are likely to come in during the early morning hours or weekends.

No resident should be gotten up before 6 am, unless they are an early riser and care planned. Specific cares should not be scheduled during the night or before 6am. unless there is a specific reason and careplanned. Some facilites due to lack of time have scheduled weekly wound/ skin checks, bathing, eye drops, inhalers, nembulizers, etc for convenience.

Make sure to keep all linen carts, w/c, etc on one side of the hallway for emergency access.

Make sure your narcotic records are appropriate and counted and signed at the end of each shift by two nurses.

Rehab aide records- make sure a nurse has read and signed the progress notes every month. Always record the number of minutes.

I would recommend a physical therapy screening every 3 months as a minimum.

Audit peri cares and cath cares as they will watch these cares.

They will also watch nembulizers, inhalers, injections and eye drops.

Remind the nurses to shake the inhaler between puffs for at least one minute or as the directions state. Review the eye drop policy and remind the nurses not to contaminate the dropper , use proper technique as to administration, appropriate time to wait between eye drops, and massage the eye if directed. Wear gloves!!!!!

If you wonder if something is appropriate ask your self

" Would a reasonable person want this to happen to them or would you like this to happen to you! There you have your answer!!