In September 2018, Wendy DeCarvalho, RN, DNS-CT, QCP, and her team watched as Hurricane Florence approached their facility, which is located just two hours from the Carolina coast, nestled in a rural area in the flood zone. They banded together to keep their residents, staff, and families safe.

Here’s her advice, based on that firsthand experience, for how to handle emergencies before, during, and after they happen.

Many directors of nursing services (DNSs) have a hands-off approach when it comes to fee-for-service Medicare Part A and the MDS process, says Suzy Harvey, RN-BC, RAC-CT, managing consultant at BKD in Springfield, MO. “DNSs attend morning meetings and sometimes attend Medicare meetings, but they don’t really get involved because they count on their MDS staff to handle those processes.”

 

That approach works for the RUG-IV case-mix classification system, but when the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) switches to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) on Oct. 1, rehabilitation therapy will no longer drive Part A skilled care, says Harvey. “With PDPM focused on patient characteristics and skilled nursing services instead of therapy volume, nursing will become key to facility success in this new system, and as the supervisor of the nursing staff, the DNS will need to help lead the way.”

 

It’s important to note that working on PDPM isn’t just another task to add to the DNS’s plate, adds Harvey. “Getting paid appropriately is the focus of PDPM, but it ties back into quality of care. Much of what you will need to work on for PDPM will also benefit you on survey and your quality measures as well.”

 

Here are seven key steps a DNS can take to get out in front of PDPM:

Some residents require or request that their medication be crushed for oral administration. But not following CMS guidelines for crushing medications could result in a citation under §483.45(f)(2) F760 (Residents Are Free of Any Significant Medication Error). This citation could also occur in administering crushed medications via feeding tube. Facility leaders and the nurse administering the medications must first be sure that the particular medication can be crushed per manufacturer instructions. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices website can be a helpful resource in determining which medications should not be crushed.