Being the director of nursing (DON) is challenging, and anyone in the role will surely agree. Having a DON title comes with great rewards and requires lots of skills. I tell new DONs it’s all about having the right tools in your toolbox. Like a mechanic, when you have the …
In Part 1 of this blog series, I talked about how your team communicates with you and how you can set expectations for that communication. In this post, I am going to touch on how you can deal with uncompassionate and abusive employees. Addressing Adverse Staff Within my first few months …
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series, I covered how setting expectations regarding communication and behavior can save you some big headaches over time. Now, let’s discuss the final tool you’ll need to have as a new director of nursing. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Success as a DON depends on …
A nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) has many important qualities; however, there are a few that you should really keep in mind if you want to be successful in your job. 1. Learner/adaptable – The long-term care nursing environment is always changing. New government regulations are updated and changed every year (the RAI User’s Manual, Quality …
Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) are required to understand the extensive and complex regulatory body surrounding the RAI/MDS process and regulations are always changing. Coding correctly and having keen assessment skills are also very important parts of a NAC’s job, which lead to the best care possible for residents and accurate Medicare …
Achieving your Resident Assessment Coordinator—Certified (RAC-CT®) certification is a tremendous accomplishment for a nurse assessment coordinator in long-term care; however, the road isn’t easy. It takes hours of studying, in-depth learning and critical thinking, and focus to complete the 10 courses and pass the exams. If you are considering embarking on your …
You just passed your final exam and you’re ready to tell the whole world that you are finally RAC-CT certified! This is your moment of achievement. It’s something you’ve been working very hard toward for months, putting in hours of studying, and now – YOU DID IT! With your certificate in hand, …
Question: Does anyone have an ‘International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative’ policy? Answer: The IDDSI framework has many resources and guidance on how to implement the framework. https://iddsi.org/framework/ Consider convening a meeting with the dietitian, ST, dietary manager, and the rep from your food service company to discuss use and implementation. …
In 2019, the Nurse Leader Blog brought you the excitement of the year’s events, inspiring stories, leadership advice, tips for culture change, and much more. Revisit the most popular posts on the Nurse Leader Blog from 2019 below. Looking Forward to the 2019 AANAC and AADNS Conference What a …
Question: When I received training for ICD-10 coding as it relates to billing, I was taught that the primary diagnosis code for long term SNF residents on a UB-04 claim would be their primary diagnosis for why they remain in the nursing facility. Therefore, if the primary diagnosis code was …
