The long term care industry continues to face a staffing crisis with a less-than-ideal ratio of residents to nurses in most facilities. While an efficient and effective point of care nursing system can help mitigate the effects of such shortages, this long-standing issue will only continue to get worse as baby boomers become increasingly in need of long term care. By 2030, all baby boomers will be at least 65, and many will require long term care services.
There is no one reason for nursing shortages. Rather, they continue to be a problem on account of industry issues like:
- Nurse burnout: Some nurses graduate and enter the workplace only for them to be shocked by how demanding nursing really is. While some learn to adapt and provide care to their residents using their long term care software, others cannot and suffer burnout that results in them leaving the nursing field. The current turnover rate is 8.8 percent to 37 percent, depending on the state and the nurse’s specialty.
- Violence towards nurses: Unfortunately, nurses are at a higher risk for violence than other professions. In one workplace violence study, out of the 450 nurses interviewed, 89.6 percent had experienced at least one kind of violence, and 68.4 percent suffered from more than one type of violence. Additionally, all reported that patients’ companions (70.6%), patients (43.1%), and physicians (4.1%) were the sources of violence directed at them.
- Career and family: It’s no secret that nursing is a demanding profession. Finding a good work-life balance can be difficult, especially for nurses with families. Furthermore, the nursing profession is still majority female; therefore, during their childbearing years, nurses will either have to cut back on their working hours or quit the profession altogether.
To make matters worse, the International Council of Nurses notes that by 2030, there will be a shortage of more than four million nurses, as some will have retired or quit the profession altogether. In this regard, point of care nursing software is invaluable, as it provides LTC software solutions that nursing homes and other long term care facilities use to manage their residents’ information and needs.
Nursing home software helps nurses work more efficiently and provide better care by storing all resident information in one easy-to-use dashboard. In addition, by using point of care nursing software, administrators can rest assured knowing that their nurses can tailor resident care according to each resident’s care plan while still providing high-quality care to residents.
Features of an Efficient CNA POC System
Suppose an administrator is interested in picking the best CNA POC (point of care) system for their facility. In that case, they will need to consult their nursing staff to create a list of what they need from the software. This list of requirements is essential, as the administrator will use it to pick a point of care nursing system that not only meets the needs of their facility but also the needs of their nurses.
An administrator can then assess the features of the different long term care EHR providers and determine which would be the best fit. Some of the best features of a point of care nursing software system are:
- Built-in Kardex: A Kardex system (an electronic nursing cheat sheet) is an excellent way for nurses to keep track of their residents. It allows them to see at a glance what each resident’s medical history is, what medications they are using, and any allergies they have. Other critical information that a Kardex will have includes residents’ code statuses, preferred language, ADLs, sleep and wake times, diet, and bathing days.
- Work-lists for nurses: With a work-list, nurses can see what tasks they need to complete for the day. The administrator can assign these tasks or generate them based on the residents’ care plans. For example, if a resident needs to be bathed, a work-list will be generated for the nurse assigned to that resident. The nurse can then check off the task once it is completed. With this feature, administrators and Directors of Nursing (DONs) can quickly view what items were or were not completed during a care session.
- User-defined tools for custom data collection: This feature is essential for facilities to collect data beyond the required state and federal regulations. With user-defined tools, long term care facilities can create custom forms for data collection. This data can then be used to improve the quality of care, for research purposes, or to meet the unique care needs of a facility.
- Advanced reporting tools: Documentation is essential to delivering care to residents. Point of care nursing software should have advanced reporting tools that allow administrators to generate reports on various aspects of their facility. These reports can be used to improve the quality of care, make staffing decisions, or track the progress of residents. with reporting tools
- POC charting for MDS 3.0, ADLs, and PDPM Payment Rates: The best care plan software can capture data and calculate totals for almost all MDS 3.0 items. Additionally, it can import the information to the facility’s long term care EHR. Then, using data collected at the point of care, the point of care nursing software should be able to calculate totals for MDS 3.0 responses and export them as needed by nursing home staff.
- Pre-loaded with correlations: When choosing a point of care software, administrators should look for one that is pre-loaded with MDS 3.0 correlation items, such as ADLs (MDS 3.0 Section G – G0110 A thru J, G0120), Functional Abilities (MDS 3.0 Section GG) and Cognitive (MDS 3.0 Section C – C0700, C1000).
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How Long Term Care Facilities Can Benefit From Point of Care CNA Software
A point of care CNA software system provides the following benefits:
- Fewer referrals of residents to external healthcare providers: Point of care nursing systems make it easier for nurses to document and track changes in a resident’s condition. This allows the facility to catch potential problems early and intervene before they become serious. Additionally, point of care nursing systems facilitate point of care testing in nursing homes. As a result, residents are less likely to be referred to external healthcare providers, saving time and money for the facility.
- Faster access to treatments: Point of care nursing software help to streamline the resident care process; nurses can make faster decisions about resident treatments, as they have all of the information about a resident in one place and can carry out point-of-care testing. Additionally, CNA POC systems can generate work lists for nurses, ensuring that tasks are completed on time and residents receive the care they need.
- Reduced risk of medical complications: By using a point of care nursing system, long term care facilities can reduce the risk of medical complications. Point of care nursing software helps to ensure that residents receive the correct treatments and that their conditions are closely monitored. Furthermore, the best point of care nursing systems are equipped with numerous tools that can notify nurses and doctors of drug interactions and provide medical references for quick answers to their inquiries. Examples of these tools are ACCESSSS, ClinicalKey, and DynaMed.
- Faster access to imaging and scanning services: Point of care nursing systems make it easier for nurses to request and receive imaging and scanning services. With this nursing home software, there is no need to fill out paper forms or fax them to the radiology department. Instead, nurses can enter the order into the point of care nursing system, and the imaging will be scheduled automatically. This saves time and reduces the likelihood of errors.
- Less paper: With a point of care nursing software, CNA charting can be done electronically, which helps to reduce the amount of paper used in long term care facilities. By storing all of the information about a resident in one place, point of care nursing systems eliminate the need for paper charts. Additionally, this long term care software comes with data encryption, ensuring that resident data remains secure from unauthorized access.
- Improved care coordination: Care coordination is crucial in the internet age. It is the care coordinator’s job to ensure that residents get the best care they can get. Point of care systems help improve care coordination by providing a central place for all resident information. This information can be accessed by any authorized staff member, making it easier for everyone to be on the same page regarding resident care. Additionally, point of care nursing systems come with features that allow facilities to track residents’ progress and their response to treatments. This helps facilities provide the best possible care to their residents.
The Importance of Point of Care Nursing Software Systems
Point of care nursing systems offer countless benefits to long term care facilities, including fewer referrals to external healthcare providers, faster access to treatments, reduced risk of medical complications, and improved care coordination. These systems streamline the resident care process and facilitate the process of requesting and receiving imaging and scanning services. Additionally, point of care nursing systems eliminate the need for paper charts and store all pertinent resident information in one place.
At a time when long term care facilities are facing staffing challenges, point of care nursing software offers a reprieve by increasing the work efficiency of nursing homes and other long term care facilities. When choosing a point of care nursing system, it is vital to consider the needs of the residents and the nursing staff. The best point of care nursing systems will provide the necessary features to help improve resident care, increase workplace efficiency, and save the facility time and money.
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