New Nursing and Long Term Care Resources

The LTCS Books site now features a number of very useful resources for nurses and long term care professionals.

The new page State Long Term Care and CNA Regulations has links to each state’s Medicaid program, long term care administrative codes, department of health, and certified nursing assistant training and certification regulations. All of LTCS long term care and home health books are up to date with the latest federal regulations, surveyor guidelines, MDS 3.0, and OASIS-C changes. Now you can download the latest regulatory changes for your state.

Online nursing inservices with narration and graphics make learning a pleasure, and are available at a bargain price.

Books are now available as downloads through Google EBooks.

Look inside each book and view its contents on the Amazon author page for LTCS Books author Debra Collins, RN, RAC-CT.

The new Guide to Online RN to BSN Degrees is a complete guide to every online RN program in the U.S. For each state, online programs are listed and described for every university, giving the exact cost per credit hour and with a link directly to the university’s online RN to BSN or RN to MSN program.

99 Google Plus Accounts All Nurses Should Follow

LPN to BSN Online writes, “Nurses in all specialties will find something useful on Google Plus, and the pages listed in this category cover a wide swath of subject matter suited for just about anyone who wears scrubs to work.”

LTCS Books author Debra Collins, RN, RAC-CT is one of the 99 listed.

“One online venue where many nurses and nursing organizations have started connecting with each other is Google Plus,” writes LPN to BSN Online.

“Many hospitals, clinics, and individual nurses use their Google Plus accounts to share news tidbits and discuss the pressing matters that affect the explosively growing field of nursing.

These Google Plus accounts represent individuals and groups from across the nursing spectrum. This list isn’t a ranking, but a repository of great accounts and communities that any nurse who uses Google Plus should follow. Whether you’re a beginning nursing student or experienced pro, you can make friends and even find your next career opportunity through Google Plus.”

99 Google Plus Accounts All Nurses Should Follow

Debra Collins on Google Plus

Nursing Care Plan Evaluation

Evaluation of the nursing care plan is an ongoing activity that examines the care plan problem itself, the care plan goals, and the care plan interventions to determine if they are still applicable or if changes to the care plan need to be made. 

Reasons for changing the nursing care plan may be:

The problem is resolved

Goals were met

Goals need to be bigger or smaller

A new diagnosis or change in the resident’s condition is impacting the problem

New medications or treatments need to be included 

The interdisciplinary care plan team should review the resident’s entire nursing care plan at each care plan meeting, and make the necessary changes. Nurses notes should address the care plan with each monthly summary.

Read more about how to write nursing care plans in the book Complete Nursing Care Plans for Long Term Care - 143 nursing care plans in the book and on the CD can be made resident specific and converted to I-care plans in one click.

RN to BSN Programs Vary by State

Increasingly, hospitals and larger health care corporations are hiring only RNs with BSN degrees, but there is a great variation in state availability of online RN program offerings. Online courses make it much easier for working RNs to fit classes into their busy schedules.

Some states have only one or two online RN to BSN programs, others have as many as twelve.

There is also a large variation in the cost of program tuitions, with some universities charging as much as $490 per credit hour, and others as little as $190 per credit hour.

Find the program that is just right for you in the LTCS Guide to Online RN Programs, a complete guide to every online RN to BSN and RN to MSN program in the U.S.

For each state online programs are listed and described for every university, giving the exact cost per credit hour and with a link directly to the university’s online RN to BSN or RN to MSN program.

Guide to Online RN Programs

Nursing Care Plan Interventions

Nursing care plan interventions describe specific actions taken by long term care staff members o achieve the stated goal, and are based on standards of clinical practice. 

The Code of Federal Regulations, F281, states that the services provided or arranged by the facility must meet professional standards of quality and be provided by qualified persons in accordance with each resident’s written nursing care plan. 

Like goals, interventions need to be specific, measurable, appropriate, and realistic. Interventions are worded in terms of what the staff will do to assist the resident to meet the stated goals for the problem, such as: 

Offer resident four ounces of fluid eight times per day. 

“Professional standards of quality” means services that are provided according to accepted standards of clinical practice. Standards regarding quality care practices may be published by a professional organization, licensing board, accreditation body or other regulatory agency. 

Recommended practices to achieve desired resident outcomes may also be found in clinical literature. Possible reference sources for standards of practice include such sources as: 

Current manuals or textbooks on nursing, social work, physical therapy, etc. 

Standards published by professional organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, American Medical Association, American Medical Director’s Association, American Nurses Association, National Association of Activity Professionals, etc. 

Clinical practice guidelines published by the Agency of Health Care Policy and Research 

Current professional journal articles 

Read more about how to write nursing care plans in the book Complete Care Plans for Long Term Care - 143 nursing care plans in the book and on the CD can be made resident specific and converted to I-care plans in one click.

Writing Nursing Care Plan Goals

The nursing care plan goal can be to prevent a potential problem from occurring, to maintain a present status or level of functional ability, or to resolve a currently existing problem. Goals are usually stated in terms of an action the resident will perform. Elements to focus on in writing the goal are that it is: 

Appropriate – for the resident’s needs, strengths, abilities, and cultural background 

Realistic – reasonably attainable 

Measurable – able to be objectively observed and evaluated 

Resident centered – stated in terms of the resident’s actions 

Time framed – gives a target date or time estimate for attainment of the goal 

Individualized – to the resident’s unique deficits, traits, and preferences 

Specific – each problem has a goal specific to it, although each problem may have more than one goal 

Examples: 

Resident will wash face and hands during morning care every day.

Resident will verbalize understanding of the need to comply with diabetic diet. 

Resident will lose one pound per week over the next thirty days.

Read more about how to write nursing care plans in the book Complete Nursing Care Plans for Long Term Care - 143 nursing care plans in the book and on the CD can be made resident specific and converted to I-care plans in one click.