Understanding the language of the regulations and the emphasis of the new survey process will improve not only survey outcomes but the way resident and patient care is provided. Participants will become familiar with the very tools that the surveyors use to determine if you are in compliance with federal regulations. Learn how to be best prepared for survey.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe methods to internally limit and identify potential areas of deficiencies that will ultimately improve patient care and outcomes.
2. Understand the New Survey process and Expanded F-tags.
3. Discuss how to incorporate the Critical Element Pathways into the QAPI process as a benchmark for standard of practice.
4. Examine how to use the CEP to drive resident satisfaction with care.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Discuss the purpose of a Plan of Correction.
2. Identify the 5 elements of the Plan of Correction.
3. Examine the layout of a CMS 2567 (Statement of Deficiencies).

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify the Purpose of and IDR and IIDR.
2. Examine the layout of a CMS 2567 (Statement of Deficiencies).

How many times a week do you ask yourself, "Is this reportable? Is this an allegation of abuse?" This session answers that question and several more. We clarify definitions, detail how to conduct and thorough investigation, report to the state, and prepare for a survey.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Define abuse (including neglect, misappropriation, and exploitation.)
2. Identify the steps in an investigation.
3. Discuss the process for reporting through the Michigan Facility Incident reporting (FRI) system.

Confused about the difference between Quality Measures and 5 Star rating and measures? What impacts does each make? Join us for this session and learn about how they are similar yet different , what makes it to the Care Compare site and how to use the data from these measures to improve the care in your facility.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify five public quality reporting measures that can be utilized within the QAPI program.
2. List 3 impacts that can result from the 5 Star Rating.
3. Describe the MDS assessment's value to quality reports and its limitations.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Define the requirements of the Patient Advocate Law.
2. Identify legal guardianship.
3. Discuss Advanced Care Planning.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the qualities of a nurse leader.
2. Explain the difference between Supervision/management and leadership.
3. Identify the differences in the Nurse Practice Act between RN and LPN.
4. Describe how empowerment can impact the Nursing Department.
5. List the 5 rights of delegation.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify the greatest challenges faced by the participants.
2. Discuss barriers to time management and delegation.
3. Describe stress management techniques.

Are you confused as to what to do first? What your priorities should be? What is expected of you regarding the new regulations? This presentation will provide some insight to these and other questions you might have. Come and receive some tools that will assist you in your daily approach to providing quality care for your residents.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. List 3 opportunities for communication on a daily basis.
2. Describe 2 of the changes in the new guidance for surveyors.
3. Learn strategies for implementing the new and revised regulations.

The Facility Assessment and QAPI are often treated like a "paper compliance" process and are not given the due diligence and respect it deserves. Properly implemented the Facility Assessment provides a roadmap for meeting quality outcomes. When used effectively, QAPI is simply the way that we do business. QAPI provides the tools for nursing homes to become the best that they can be. Learn to use tools that simplify the process.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Define the role of the Director of Nursing in completing the Facility Assessment.
2. Identify basic QAPI concepts.
3. Define elements of QAPI.
4. Describe the process of systematic evaluation.

Discover practical, high impact strategies to strengthen the workforce in this focused session on recruitment and retention. This presentation will help you understand the current hiring environment, identify drivers for employee retention, and apply evidence based approaches to improve recruitment success and long term engagement.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Examine internal and external workforce data to identify key factors contributing to recruitment gaps and turnover within their organization.
2. Assess existing hiring practices, determine which practices are producing desired outcomes, and identify areas for strategic improvement.
3. Select and adapt proven retention approaches that fit their organization’s culture, resources, and workforce demographics.
4. Develop a customized, measurable action plan outlining next steps for enhancing recruitment processes and strengthening workforce retention.
5. Describe how organizational culture, leadership behaviors, and employee experience influence long-term retention.

Are you confused when the administrator tells you to cut staffing to the budgeted amount and you don't even know what the budget says? As a nurse you know that the residents need more staff but can't convince the administration? Have you asked yourself "How can I be over budget when I haven't changed the staffing from what was here before?" These are valid questions. Joins us for this presentation and we will walk through staffing and budgeting to see how they are related and how to manage them.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify the basics for preparing the nursing department budgets.
2. Describe how to administer the monthly nursing department budget.
3. Evaluate staffing PPD requirements, supplies and capital equipment.

As a DON you may or may not be responsible for actually performing the role of the DON. However, as the DON you will be responsible for knowing what to expect from the infection Preventionist (IP) and the process of Infection Prevention within your facility. As we learn more about Antibiotic resistance it becomes more imperative that our facilities have implemented serious Antibiotic Stewardship (AS) plans and processes. Join us for this presentation and explore Infection Prevention (IP) from the DON's perspective. Journey with us through the Survey tags that must be met as well as how to hire an IP. Take the resources provided and when back home check out your IP and AS program to determine if you have all that you need!

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learning Objectives:

1. Verbalize an overview of the Infection Prevention and Control Program essentials and regulations associated with the program.
2. List the 7 Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship.
3. Describe how to select, mentor and support the Infection Preventionist with consideration of F882.
4. Discuss communication strategies for working with facility leadership in support of the Infection Prevention and Control Program.

Having a successful wound care program is necessary to maintain quality outcomes. This one-hour educational presentation provides a summary of how to build and maintain a successful wound care program in long term care. We will review key components of an effective program, including prevention strategies, comprehensive wound assessment, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The session will also highlight the importance of staff education, documentation, and early identification of risk factors to reduce facility acquired pressure injuries and to promote healing. Attendees will leave with strategies that can be implemented in their facilities to enhance resident safety, improve healing outcomes, and prevent development of wounds.

Nurse Learner Outcome: 

Learner Objectives: 

1. Describe how to evaluate whether a thorough wound care assessment was conducted.
2. Identify the key components of a wound care program.
3. Discuss wound care prevention strategies.
4. Examine regulatory compliance and quality care for increased improvements.

Psychotropic medications are under greater scrutiny not only by CMS but also by providers, residents, and families. Dose reduction for psychotropic medications is not a well researched area and requires understanding classes of medication, residual behaviors, behavioral triggers, and the impact of dose reduction even when the medication is not treating a symptom effectively will improve the dose reduction process.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify triggers leading to behavioral symptoms.
2. Describe staff actions that worsen behaviors.
3. Discuss approaches to reduce psychotropic medication administration.

This educational presentation provides an in‑depth, structured review of pain management practices in the long‑term care setting, with a focus on regulatory compliance, clinical accuracy, and improving resident outcomes. The session begins by introducing the purpose of the training and outlining why pain management remains a critical quality-of-care issue in nursing homes. It then explores the problem in practice, including the high prevalence of unrecognized or undertreated pain, especially among residents with dementia, and the survey risks associated with deficiencies under F697. The presentation continues with an overview of how pain manifests in older adults, covering both verbal and nonverbal indicators, behavioral expressions, and the functional impact of unmanaged pain.

A central component of the training is a detailed walkthrough of the CMS Pain Critical Element Pathway (CEP), explaining each step required for compliant, resident-centered pain management—from identifying pain and conducting complete assessments to developing individualized care plans, implementing interventions, monitoring outcomes, and updating plans based on reassessment findings. A case study of a resident exhibiting behavioral signs of pain is used to promote critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving, helping participants apply the CEP in a realistic scenario.

The presentation also emphasizes documentation excellence, including the use of structured formats such as S‑I‑O‑P and expectations for timely reassessment after interventions. Participants review examples of effective and insufficient documentation, reinforcing how accurate charting supports regulatory compliance and clinical decision-making. The session then highlights key pain management strategies, including non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches as well as strategies for assessing pain in residents unable to self-report. Finally, the presentation outlines the role of Directors of Nursing in ensuring consistency across shifts, coaching staff, conducting audits, and supporting a facility-wide culture of effective pain recognition and management. The session concludes with a brief post-test, discussion, and summary of essential takeaways.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify verbal, nonverbal, and behavioral indicators of pain in long-term care residents, including those with cognitive impairment, using standardized assessment tools aligned with CMS F697.
2. Explain the steps of the CMS Pain Critical Element Pathway and how surveyors use it to evaluate pain management practices in nursing homes.
3. Apply appropriate pain assessment tools to resident scenarios and determine whether the assessment, intervention, and reassessment meet regulatory expectations and demonstrate effective pain management.
4. Analyze documentation examples using S-I-O-P format to determine whether the assessment, intervention, and reassessment meet regulatory expectations and demonstrate effective pain management.
5. Develop and individualized, resident-centered pain management plan that integrates pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions and updates based on reassessment outcomes.

As our industry evolves, we have a powerful opportunity to foster a culture that empowers our team to practice safe, defensible documentation. With regulatory standards and legal liability increasing, we’ll examine real cases where documentation practices placed healthcare professionals at risk and how valuable our leadership is in reducing these risks exposures. Together, we’ll focus on how to support our teams through aligned practices and proactive oversight that supports a culture that elevates our resident’s care, safeguards our staff, and strengthens our entire organization.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Identify defensible documentation needed to support and lead their nurses to document accurately, objectively and in compliance with regulatory and legal standards.
2. Explain the risk that can lead to potential criminal charges against healthcare professionals.
3. Examine how nursing leaders can help implement proactive, defensible documentation practices and oversight systems to help prevent these potential situations from occurring.
4. Describe the importance of auditing documentation as a strategy to strengthen quality of care, ensure regulatory compliance, and proactively identify and mitigate potential risks exposures.