ltcconsultant

Rena Shepard will be in Atlanta sometime in the middle of September doing the three day AANAC workshop.

I saw an informal ranking of the test sites somewhere (can't remember where), with Racine, Atlanta, and Syracuse being the top three. I passed in Atlanta at Grady. The two adult PCS were both ortho, and the peds was sickle cell anemia. In fact, I ...

May I suggest using the forms from the QIS in QAA committee? You can get quality assurance and survey prep done at the same time. The forms have the guidance to surveyors written on them so there is virtually no subjectivity. The ones you really w...

This is what LPNs can't do that RNs can: 1. They cannot complete the planning of phase of the nursing process independently (ie, they can contribute to a care plan but not write it) 2. Generally, they cannot push IV meds (depends on the state) 3. ...

It is a violation of the nurse practice act for a LPN to supervise the clinical work of a RN, however there is nothing to legally stop a LPN from supervising the administrative work of a RN. Whether or not you actually consider a LPN to be a 'real n...

Go with AANAC. Both AANAC and NRAI require that you complete a course to get the certification, but only AANAC gives you a choice of doing them online. NRAI requires that you sit through their course, which is only offered a couple of times during ...

Why does she perceive the ADL cards to always be wrong? What is her rationale for not using the gait belt? Was help not available, or did she have a reason for choosing to work alone? There are four primary goals for misbehavior: Attention, power...

"At that minute, I knew there was nowhere else a high school dropout could go and have that much power and influence...You see, we have the power to make an old person feel special, beautiful, worthwhile, needed, wanted, respected, revered, admired, ...

The California Healthcare Facilities Association is having a DSD course in San Diego June 24 through the 26th. The flyer is at http://www.qchf.org/fliers/2008/DSD_Edu_Program5-08.pdf

The reg is tagged at F356, the essential text of which is posted right above you.

Under the medicare conditions of participation for nursing homes, at the beginning of each shift the census must be posted along with the number of RNs, LPNs, and CNAs working. It must be legible and posted in a conspicuous place. Any person, resid...

Can those two things actually be packaged together?!? Tell me some more about the program so I have more to go on. How do these things sound? Empowerment Express Suggestion Service (or service suggestion) These are the only ones I can think of at t...

Make sure the bubbles you get are air bubbles...I failed the injection lab the first time through because I had somehow drawn up air and the 'bubbles' in the syringe was what little of the med I had actually gotten!:trout:

I finally passed the CPNE this past weekend at Grady in Atlanta and had a good ole time. Each PCS went smoothly and quickly, got out of implementation phase in 15 to 45 minutes for each one, and passed everything. I did have to repeat two of my lab...

I think the AHIMA book is at just the right level for someone starting out. Another good book I forgot to mention is Chip Caldwell's Handbook of Managing Change in Health Care, although it may be overkill at this point in time. There is only one me...

Email or PM and I'll send you some stuff.

The book I recommend most often is Quality and Performance Improvement in Healthcare which is published by AHIMA. It is a very practical book on how to actually do QI. Another interesting book is Health Care Quality and Outcomes Management, which i...

I've got some powerpoint slides on this. PM or email if you would like a copy.

With any sort of dementia, it is helpful to have some sort of routine. It works better if the person's usual routine (the one they followed at home) is continued on in some way after they are admitted to a nursing home.

I've never of heard of this before. It seems that requiring bedroom doors to be shut at all times could potentially be a violation of resident rights. I'm curious as to how your facility has done on its last life safety code inspection?

I actually addressed this in my blog back in 2007 The basic premise behind hourly rounding in the nursing home is that you check in on each resident about every hour (every two hours during nocs) and check on 3 things: Position, potty, and pain. You...

The thought of having to change a unit's culture is scary. I've got some good stuff on culture change via implementing resident centered care that you would probably find to be very helpful. Drop me an email and I'll send it to you. My gut instinc...

Just for clarification, it is possible to work in any state as a RN without holding a license in that state. The only catch is that the only employer you can have is the federal government, most likely the VA. Federal health care facilities require...

AANAC's RAC-CT seems to be the more respected of the various MDS certifications out there. It also appears to provide the best value for the money since you have access to their website when you join. Joining + online certification with AANAC is ab...

CMS (the federal agency that runs Medicare and oversees all nursing home surveys in the country) have a book called the "State Operations Manual" that contain the minimum standards for each type of Medicare participating facility (hospital, home heal...