Long-Term Care Survey Alert
The Wrong Nursing Policies/Procedures Can Ladle Up A Numeric Soup Of F Tags
PDF
Keep your eye on these requirements.
If your policy and procedure manual doesn't spell out how to do nursing treatments that meet the standard of care, your facility is an F tag waiting to happen--several of them.
For example, surveyors can write up your facility at F328 if it doesn't have special policies and procedures for specified nursing procedures ranging from the basic to more subacute fare. The list includes:
• injections
• parenteral and enteral fluids
• colostomy, ureterostomy or ileostomy care
• tracheostomy care
• tracheal suctioning
• respiratory care
• foot care and prostheses
The bottom line: Under F328, "the facility must ensure residents receive proper care and treatment procedures for special needs," says Nancy Shellhorse, an attorney in Austin, TX.
Facilities that use outdated nursing procedures/policies--or ones that violate the accepted standard of care--could end up with an F281 citation, notes Barbara Miltenberger, a nurse attorney with Husch & Eppenberger in Jefferson City, MO. F281 requires facilities to provide services that meet accepted standards of clinical practice.
Beware: F281 consistently ranks among the top 10 deficiencies.
If a resident had a negative outcome tied to a faulty nursing procedure, the facility could also get a quality-of-care tag, such as F309, Miltenberger says.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- SURVEY UPDATE:
What You Need To Know Now About The New Slate Of Revised F Tags
Surveyors will be ready to roll with new interpretive guidance on June 1.
If you were [...] - SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Use Revised Survey Guidance To Scope Out Scope and Severity
Find out what CMS considers actual harm and immediate jeopardy.
What's good for the surveyors can [...] - RESIDENT ASSESSMENT:
Sidestep Blame For Skin Breakdown That Occurred In Another Setting
You have some wiggle room at F314 to avoid citations.
Just because your nursing facility "inherits" [...] - SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Get Your Medical Director Involved At Every Step Of The Survey Process
Here's how to cut off F501 tags at the get-go.
How involved is your medical director [...] - Survey Tip:
Know When To Do A Pre-Exit
Hint: Don't save the worst for last.
A pre-exit interview can help turn around a survey heading [...] - QUALITY OF CARE:
Go On A Quest For The Best--Develop Top-Notch Nursing Policies And Procedures
7 ways to keep a step ahead of the latest evidence-based practices.
You want to do [...] - QUALITY OF CARE:
The Wrong Nursing Policies/Procedures Can Ladle Up A Numeric Soup Of F Tags
Keep your eye on these requirements.
If your policy and procedure manual doesn't spell out how [...] - CLIP 'N' SAVE:
Don't Get Stuck With An F328 Tag For Faulty Injections
Would your facility pass this survey probe?
In evaluating your compliance with F328, surveyors may take [...] - RISK MANAGEMENT:
Master Medication Reconciliation--Or Reconcile Yourself To Survey Citations
Jump on the bandwagon of this safety practice before it's too late.
If your facility thinks [...] - PATIENT SAFETY:
Could This Patient Safety Nightmare Be A Discharge Away?
Failing to reconcile a patient's meds could result in a liability wake-up call.
Picture this: You [...] - MEDICATION MANAGEMENT:
Too Many Of These Drugs Can Add Up To Anticholinergic Toxicity
If a resident develops delirium or confusion, review his meds.
One medication with anticholinergic properties may [...] - CLIP 'N' SAVE:
Check Out This One-Page Form For Medication Reconciliation
Simple is better to ensure staff have time to identify all of a resident's meds. - SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
Will DAVE 2 be likely to report you for potential survey violations? DAVE will report [...]