Join the National Safety Council in June for National Safety Month—the annual observance to help keep each other safe from the workplace to anyplace.
For access to safety resources, go to https://www.nsc.org/workplace/national-safety-month
Category: AHCA/NCAL
AHCA/NCAL’s Gero Nurse Prep Spring Sale Ends May 31!
Don’t miss your chance to save $200 off the AHCA/NCAL’s Gero Nurse Prep course with promo code QUALITYRN22 (all caps).
Find out what Gero Nurse Prep can do for you by going to https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/Gero-Nurse-Prep-is-On-Sale-and-Delivers-the-Knowledge-That-Can-Improve-Outcomes.aspx
Gero Nurse Prep is On Sale and Delivers the Knowledge That Can Improve Outcomes!
Save $200 off the AHCA/NCAL’s Gero Nurse Prep course through May 31, 2022, with promo code QUALITYRN22 (all caps). Specifically designed for registered nurses working in long term care, this curriculum provides comprehensive online training that leads to board certification in gerontological nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for RNs.
Research released by AHCA/NCAL in 2019 found compelling reasons to consider the Gero Nurse Prep course and ANCC Board certification for RNs. Nursing facilities with at least one ANCC Board certified RN experienced:
- Two fewer deficiencies on average (5.71 citations versus the 7.55 national average)
- Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations (1.60 versus the 2.27 national average)
- More stars — nearly twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (50% versus the 28% national average)
- Significantly lower re-hospitalization rates
- Significantly lower rates of off-label use of antipsychotics
- Significantly higher average SNF Value Based Purchasing scores (44.17 versus 34.42 for the nation).
Announcing AHCA/NCAL’s Spring Sale on Gero Nurse Prep
Save $200 off the AHCA/NCAL’s Gero Nurse Prep course through May 31, 2022, with promo code QUALITYRN22 (all caps). Specifically designed for registered nurses working in long term care, this curriculum provides comprehensive online training that leads to board certification in gerontological nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for RNs.
Research released by AHCA/NCAL in 2019 found compelling reasons to consider the Gero Nurse Prep course and ANCC Board certification for RNs. Nursing facilities with at least one ANCC Board certified RN experienced:
- Two fewer deficiencies on average (5.71 citations versus the 7.55 national average)
- Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations (1.60 versus the 2.27 national average)
- More stars — nearly twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (50% versus the 28% national average)
- Significantly lower re-hospitalization rates
- Significantly lower rates of off-label use of antipsychotics
- Significantly higher average SNF Value Based Purchasing scores (44.17 versus 34.42 for the nation)
Gero Nurse Prep also makes a big difference even for those RNs who are not interested in pursuing ANCC Board certification. Nurses who complete Gero Nurse Prep show an average 24 percent increase between their pre- and post-course test scores. The course delivers smarter RNs who are better prepared to deliver quality geriatric nursing care in skilled nursing and assisted living settings. Both two-year RNs and BSNs can take this course and sit for the ANCC exam.
RNs have one year to complete the course and earn 30 quality nursing contact hours – enough to meet the criteria for taking the ANCC certification exam. Gero Nurse Prep grads who choose to sit for the ANCC gerontological nursing certification exam (a $395 separate fee paid to ANCC) have a pass rate of 95% on their first try. RNs who pass the ANCC exam can then use the GERO-BC™ credential after their RN credential.
Watch this video or visit the website at geronurseprep.com to learn more about this online program designed to help RNs increase their geriatric nursing skills and to pass the ANCC exam. Don’t forget to use the QUALITYRN22 promo code when you register by May 31 to save $200 off the regular $790 Gero Nurse Prep
Hot and Relevant Topics Covered at 2022 Quality Summit
Programming for the 2022 AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit is designed for quality practitioners at all levels. From sessions showcasing innovative practices of providers across the country and peer-to-peer idea exchanges, to new solutions from sponsor partners and dynamic keynote speakers, you will leave with fresh ideas that you can implement as soon as you return to your centers and communities. Attendees can earn up to 11 CEs.
The deadline to register is May 5, so don’t delay!
Get more information on these sessions by going to https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/Hot-and-Relevant-Topics-Covered-at-the-Quality-Summit.aspx
Careers in Aging Week April 17-23, 2022.
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) hosts Careers in Aging Week every year to raise awareness about the diverse careers available in the field of aging.
People are living longer and populations are aging worldwide. The demand for professionals with expertise in aging is growing rapidly. Careers in Aging Week (CIAW) is observed every year by businesses, clinics, coalitions, organizations, universities, colleges, and other parties across the world. The goal of CIAW is to bring greater awareness and visibility to the wide-ranging career opportunities in the field of aging.
For Careers in Aging Week materials, including GSA’s Careers in Aging Week toolkit, please go to https://www.geron.org/programs-services/careers-in-aging-week
CMS Releases Revised Guidance on Vaccine Mandate IFR
CMS has released revised interpretive guidance for the COVID-19 vaccine mandate interim final rule (IFR). Three memoranda have been updated, including QSO-22-07-ALL-Revised, QSO-22-09-ALL-Revised, and QSO-22-11-ALL-Revised.
The revisions were made to clarify the expectations for assessing compliance with the requirement to ensure all staff are vaccinated. AHCA/NCAL has highlighted key revisions below, but providers are encouraged to review the Long-Term Care and Skilled Nursing Facility Attachment A-Revised, as well as the applicable memo listed above, for detailed changes.
CDC Releases Nursing Home Communication Toolkit
The CDC recently released a Nursing Home Communication toolkit to help nursing home health care professionals better communicate with residents and families on antibiotic treatment expectations. Pressure from family members to prescribe antibiotics to nursing home residents when they may not be needed has been identified as an opportunity for providers to engage in discussion around appropriate antibiotic use.
The toolkit reviews a four-part communication strategy which has been effective in improving antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings. Two nursing home-specific scenarios applying these principles are also provided.
AHCA/NCAL Highlights Nursing Home Quality Improvements Over The Past Decade
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) released a new report today highlighting data that shows the quality of care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) has been on an upward trend in the 10 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information collected by the federal government proves that industry-wide efforts to raise the standard of care have benefited long term care residents across the country.
Key findings from the report include:
- Nursing homes welcomed approximately 3.5 million admissions from hospitals each year for the past decade, and nearly two-thirds of those patients were able to return home after receiving rehabilitation therapy from SNFs.
- Since 2011, 8.7 percent fewer residents were sent to the hospital during their nursing home stays.
- On average, nurses were putting in an additional 198 total hours of care per nursing home each quarter.
One out of three nursing homes received four or five stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for staffing.
Fewer than one in seven nursing home residents are receiving antipsychotic medication – a 40 percent decline since 2011.
Nursing homes improved on 19 out of the 22 quality outcomes measured by CMS.
Read more at https://www.providermagazine.com/Breaking-News/Pages/AHCA-NCAL-Highlights-Nursing-Home-Quality-Improvements.aspx
The full Nursing Home Quality Improvement report is available HERE.
OSHA Announces COVID-19 Focused Inspection Initiative in Health Care
The Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) announced a time-limited enforcement effort for focused inspections in hospitals, nursing facilities, and assisted living communities treating COVID-19 patients. The intent of this initiative is to magnify OSHA’s presence in health care facilities over a three-month period (March 9- June 9, 2022) to encourage employers in these industry sectors to take the necessary steps to protect their workers against the hazards of COVID-19.
Inspections will be limited to organizations with prior COVID-19-related citations or complaints. Inspections will focus on correction of prior citations and compliance with existing OSHA standards. More detailed information can be found on the OSHA website.