Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes has launched the second phase of its campaign to help nursing homes achieve excellence in quality care and quality of life for people who live and work in the nation’s nursing homes.
With workforce goals of reducing CNA, LPN, and RN turnover, increasing use of consistent assignment, and measuring overall staff satisfaction, the three-year-old campaign has reordered its objectives to “better reflect that staffing issues are clearly drivers of overall quality improvement at a nursing home.” The coalition considers all eight clinical and operational goals to be equally important to improve the quality of care and life for residents and to provide a good working environment.
The campaign website has undergone a makeover, and now offers new resources and materials, including CNA Fact Sheets to help nursing homes engage certified nursing assistants in all eight campaign goals.
Nearly half of the nation’s nursing homes joined Phase 1 of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign, which reports very promising results. Nursing homes that focused on specific clinical goals improved at a significantly faster rate than other nursing homes, for example.
“There are tangible benefits for homes as well: improving staff retention and maintaining staff stability saves money, improves efficiency as well as outcomes, and contributes to better relationships between residents and their caregivers,” said Mary Jane Koren, MD, MPH, Chair of the Advancing Excellence Campaign.
The three clinical and five operational campaign goals are:
- Staff Turnover
- Consistent Assignment
- Restraints
- Pressure Ulcers
- Pain
- Advance Care Planning
- Resident/Family Satisfaction
- Staff Satisfaction
“The Campaign’s recognition and commitment to improving workplace practices is critically important to improving quality,” said Hollis Turnham, PHI Midwest director and member of the Advancing Excellence Steering Committee. “The measurement of consistent assignment from the resident’s perspective and the ability to track turnover rates in almost real time are resources that have been lacking.
“For the success of Phase 2, I urge every nursing home to select at least one workforce goal as part of their quality improvement efforts for the next two years,” Turnham said.
The coalition stimulates quality improvements by providing nursing homes with free, current, and practical evidence-based resources; empowering residents and their families with education; and helping participants reach their targets. Homes can also compare their progress with state and national averages.
Nursing homes that have been participating in the campaign are required to re-enroll to update profiles, select new goals, and set new targets for improvement. Nursing homes that re-enroll by January 31, 2010 will be designated as an Advancing Excellence Charter Member. Homes that have yet to participate in the coalition’s quality improvement effort — the first to measure quality by setting clinical and organizational goals for nursing homes — are encouraged to sign up.
