We all know how expensive it can be to travel around the holiday season, I'm sure many of us just did it in the past few days! What's it look like as a travelling nurse?

Here’s a follow up from our November 20th blog, outlining another solution to the impending CMS mandates: Skilled Nursing Travel Visas.

Understanding the Importance of Nursing Work Visas

Nursing work visas play a crucial role in allowing skilled nurses to work internationally. These visas are necessary for nurses who wish to pursue employment opportunities within the United States or elsewhere. Nursing work visas are an encouraging solution because they would not only provide nurses with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in different healthcare settings, but it would also contribute to addressing the national shortage of healthcare professionals in this country.

Increasing the number of nursing work visas would offer many benefits and opportunities for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and senior care homes nationwide. Nurses would have the chance to work in renowned hospitals or healthcare facilities that offer advanced medical technologies and techniques, granting them exposure that would enhance their skills and knowledge, and allow for better patient care in the long run. Additionally, nurses from abroad offer unique experiences, perspectives, and ideas, leading to the establishment of professional connections that can positively impact patients and communities in need around the country.

Pros

• Expands the search for RN’s beyond the United States’ borders.
• Introduces professional experience under differing healthcare models, thus expanding the scale of medical knowledge and expertise.
• Healthcare inclusivity increases due to diversified staff, allowing for the transcendence of language, race, religion, etc.

Cons

• Document and application procurement and preparation is complex and time consuming
• Political opinions could interfere with the immigrant RN procurement process.
• Required legal and travel fees can be hefty.
• Any errors and inaccuracies in paperwork can delay processing times or result in application rejection.

Determining the Eligibility Criteria for Nursing Work Visas

Before applying for a nursing work visa, it is essential to understand the eligibility criteria set by the destination country. While specific requirements may vary, there are common factors considered by most countries. These factors typically include the nurse's educational background, professional experience, language proficiency, and health and character assessments.

In terms of educational background, nurses are generally required to have completed a nursing degree or diploma from a recognized institution. The United States also requires additional certifications or specialized training in specific areas of nursing. Professional experience is another crucial aspect, with many countries preferring nurses with a certain number of years of experience in their field.

Language proficiency is also highly valued in nursing work visa applications. Nurses are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the language spoken in the destination country to ensure effective communication with patients, colleagues, and healthcare professionals. Additionally, health and character assessments are conducted to ensure the nurse's physical and mental fitness, as well as their suitability for working in a healthcare setting.

While obtaining a nursing work visa requires thorough preparation and submission of the necessary documentation, including a valid passport, educational certificates, professional licenses, language proficiency test results, health examination reports, and character references, it would grant access to healthcare personnel from abroad that could provide a legitimate solution to the ongoing skilled nursing crisis in the United States. For nurses that have the diligence, desire, and resources necessary to make it happen, looking abroad can be a truly viable option.

Have you heard of any other staffing solutions? Comment below or email us, we’d love to hear from you!

If you’ve been following our blog series outlining the ins-and-outs of the new CMS mandates, you might be relieved to learn that this week’s blog contains a note of, dare I say, optimism?

By now, you probably know all about the minimum staffing rule, the lack of funding, and the juxtaposition between post acute care facilities and rising patient acuity cases in hospitals. While all worrisome and anxiety-inducing, there comes a time when one must stop airing their grievances and focus on the solutions. 

This blog is highlighting one of them: College developmental programs.

In response to the rising demand for RNs in skilled nursing facilities, college developmental programs are making headway. Universities across the country, such as the University of New England, have launched accelerated 12-month nursing degree programs, cutting the time necessary to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing by 75%. The new programming supersedes the existing 'accelerated' 16-month nursing degree program, ultimately reducing the length of study by an additional 4 months. 

The highly intense, accelerated nursing programs are designed with the intention of fulfilling the nationwide staff shortages by reducing the time necessary to become a practicing nurse. It sounds great, right?

But, as we all know, there are two sides to every coin, here’s what we’re thinking:

Pros 

• Opportunity to gain significant nursing knowledge and skill at an accelerated pace.
• Accelerated programs garner additional attention because they are shorter in duration and will typically allow students to save money when compared to a 4-year commitment.
• Accelerated programs allow for quick career changes, which is good for individuals who may have already been interested in nursing but perhaps settled for other industries.
• Colleges and universities will be able to turn out practicing nurses at an expedited rate, helping to combat the nationwide nursing shortages.

Cons

• Such a short length of study raises questions of true preparedness and competency in the field of medicine.
• There is a wide range of prerequisite courses and admission criteria necessary to be accepted into the accelerated programs, blurring the academic timeline as far as how long students would actually be studying prior to practicing.
• The rigorous curriculum and rate of programming could result in burnout before students even reach the opportunity to practice professionally.

So there you have it, accelerated college nursing programs: a silver lining amidst the current plight. While not foolproof, they have their perks and penalties like any other, and it’s important to acknowledge the efforts of academic institutions across the country in answering the nursing shortages call. Time will tell whether it is all that it is being hyped up to be, but in the meantime, it is at least one solution to an issue that needs fixing; There’s not much room for complaint when there aren’t many remedies to choose from.

Heard of any other ways SNFs are looking to address the nationwide nursing staff shortages? Comment below, or email us, we’d love to know! 

The NBA, WNBA, NHL, and NFL leagues are all underway, so it’s time for you to recall the best sports team dynasty you can think of: The players on that team, each player’s role, and lastly, what set them apart from the other teams they competed against. What made them so successful? I have one hypothesis:

Culture.

The teams that are the most successful have a history of unrelenting culture - from the very top leader to the bottom. New members are indoctrinated into the routines, habits, standards, and codes of conduct set by seasoned players- players who want to win, who know how to win, and have a history of winning often. These seasoned players, or veterans, often spearhead the sports dynasties we see and support today, serving as an example of what can be achieved when skill and experience come together.  

So how does this relate to senior care facilities?

 Staff are much like the players on your favorite sports team - they are hired to do a job and do it to the best of their ability. However, in the same way that athletes cut contracts, request trades, and retire unexpectedly, there is a lot that happens behind the scenes that decides if the company is able to retain an employee or not. Whether it’s poor internal communication, lack of personal time, or salary disagreements, to name a few, there are plenty of reasons why an individual would choose to vacate a position and look elsewhere. Long story short, unhappy employees leave. 

For skilled nursing facilities, this presents a problem because there is not, in fact, more fish in the sea. Unlike athletes, many of whom compete for the same position and sense of glory, CNAs and RN’s are not as plentiful and SNFs everywhere are already scraping the bottom of the barrel due to the new, pricey CMS mandates. It’s not a simple task to recruit and onboard new staff when you don’t even have the resources or time to pay for it. 

So then the question becomes:

“Well, how do we ensure our current employees remain happy?”

Here are three ways:

1. Cultivate a positive work environment. 

A toxic work environment is not only a deterrent in and of itself, but it amplifies patient and staff safety issues. Nobody likes to wake up and already dread going into work! In a study conducted by Sage Journals, it was found that workplaces that promoted an environment that encouraged teamwork and civility experienced lower rates of turnover, burnout and CMS penalties due to low-performance scores. Fostering a positive work environment can look like many things: 

• Recognizing the work of employees publicly
• Frequently providing positive feedback to employees
• Creating open dialogue via check-ins or anonymous reviews
• Adding slowly to workloads in order to prevent burnout. 

Simply by ensuring that your employees feel seen, heard, appreciated, and rested, you will drastically reduce the turnover rate of your employees. 

2. Manage your scheduling. 

Employees do best when they know what to expect and are capable of fulfilling what is being asked of them. Maintaining a predictable, transparent and organized schedule gives staff the confidence that comes with being prepared. Just like athletes, clinical staff can only be truly prepared if they know what the game plan is and how to execute it. Therefore, consider how you can increase the level of communication and transparency throughout your facility. Do you know who is on the floor at all times? Do you know the strengths and weaknesses of each employee and their ability to meet each residents’ needs? Do you know which employees are approaching overtime? Being aware of the finer details allows you to see where there is opportunity for schedule flexibility, shift limits, and mandated time off - all of which have been shown to improve employee happiness. In many ways, it all comes down to having visibility throughout your facility, allowing you to confidently direct and prepare staff in a way that improves efficiency, patient outcomes and job satisfaction.

3. Update your systems.

While it may seem costly upfront, updating your systems will only pay off in the long run. In an industry that is already stressful and time sensitive, the last thing employees want to deal with is software and technology issues. Staff have residents and patients that rely on them to provide high-quality, timely and complete care, which is made harder when the technology is slow, poorly designed and dysfunctional. Keeping your software and operating system up to date will allow you to streamline the coordination of care between various interdisciplinary teams, enhance your cybersecurity measures, and reduce frustrations related to administrative failures.

In conclusion, experience and skill wins championships, regardless of what uniform is being worn. Make sure your team has the leaders (and followers) it needs to be successful!

Have any of your own tips to add? Let us know!

Autumn is now in full swing and winter is right around the corner, so you may be asking yourself: How do I keep my elderly loved ones or my residents engaged this season? It’s not always easy to find ways to stay entertained on those dreary, cold, and rainy days, however, we have compiled a list of activities for you that may just fit the bill:

Puzzles

As the well-known phrase goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it. As you age, extra measures need to be taken to ensure a sound mind and body. Puzzles are a great way to maintain hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and keep the brain active - and don’t limit yourself to the regular jigsaw puzzles either! Consider handheld brain teasers that require you to find a way to separate two pieces or strategy games like Connect 4. If you know somebody who is mathematically inclined or cruciverbalist, consider Sudoku or crosswords. Challenging yourself in such ways helps maintain vital connections between different areas of your brain.

Sports

When you hear the word ‘competitive’ does anyone in particular come to mind? Or do you know anybody who just likes to be included? Finding activities that everyone can partake in is not always easy when it comes to seniors, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get everyone involved, regardless of mobility capacities. There is something for everyone at an arcade, so don’t be afraid to get creative! Think jumbo ring toss, floor net basketball, indoor mini golf, giant ping pong, and even a dance party - all of which improve balance, flexibility, energy levels and decrease loneliness. Or, for those seniors who prefer something more relaxing, yoga, simple pool noodle exercises and swimming (if there’s a pool) comes with the same benefits as well. Long story short, make exercise fun and it will bring only good things! 

Arts & Crafts

Some days (and people) are just more on the quiet side, so how do you navigate this challenge, you may ask? Get creative, literally! Art takes many forms, including coloring, drawing, painting, sculpting and building. Provide residents with color (or paint)-by-numbers books, or lead drawing sessions that challenge them to use different drawing styles. Hold painting nights where residents can get familiar with different kinds of paint, or even set up your own “paint and sip,” where residents can follow an artist’s lead. If you want to take it a step further, you could even have an art exhibition, where residents can proudly display their work to others. When it comes to sculpting and building projects, consider clay (or Playdoh), and materials like Legos to help residents form their masterpieces! The benefits of art are as much mental as they are physical: from improving cognitive function, memory, self-expression and sense of community, to greater motor skills and coordination.

Music

The beauty of music is a universal experience, and any music lover will tell you how important it is in bringing people together. Ask residents what their favorite songs are and then play them for the whole group. You could even turn it into a game where other residents have to guess which resident chose the song, or guess which artist is singing the song! Not only will residents get a better sense of individual music tastes, but it will promote conversations between residents about songs, and the stories behind them. Since everyone will likely have different tastes in music, residents will walk away not only feeling more connected to their peers, but with new and refreshing music that could prompt personal exploration into a new genre. Another option is to hold karaoke or instrumental nights, where residents can sing out loud or play an instrument such as the piano. All the above has been shown to relax the body, lower blood pressure and improve sleep and digestion, as well as an increased sense of community and friendship.

When it comes to senior care, it's important to remember that everyone was young once, and the desire to feel included, to feel as though one's life has purpose, and to feel loved never goes away. Winter and autumn can be dark, cold and unforgiving, making seasonal depression an unwelcome guest to many. For seniors who are already living away from family and friends, this presents an additional challenge, as they are already feeling isolated from those they love. When considering activities for your seniors, consider those that are not only going to improve or maintain mental skills and bodily coordination, but, arguably more importantly, will build a sense of community and belonging that everyone strives for.

What are some ways that you are keeping your seniors active this season? We’d love to know -  email us or submit a comment below!

AI Enhancing Roles for Senior Living Facilities

AI, also known as artificial intelligence, became popular around the 1980s. John Hopfield and David Rumelhart popularized “deep learning” techniques, allowing computers to learn user experience. Recently we have seen the rise of AI yet again as it made national news, explaining how the system can write term papers for students, update resumes for job seekers, and much more that even made people question their position in the work field. 

AI is taking on a more impactful part in various roles for Senior Living. With the help of AI, senior living facilities are getting assistance with staffing, financial management, fall prevention, and clinical care. According to argentum.com AI is not replacing human intelligence but enhancing it. Well, why AI? What makes this system so reliable for senior living facilities? "It is this analysis of unstructured data, from multiple sources, in real-time, that is perhaps the most unique benefit of AI", says Arena CEO Michael Rosenbaum. 

Now that we know the why let's dive into the how. Rosenbaum says, "AI can find patterns and 'signal' very quickly from massive amounts of data which is the incontrovertible advantage of AI over human capability." It's not that humans are incapable but we are limited when it comes to time and energy whereas a machine is not. As Heather Annolino, senior director of Healthcare Practice at Ventiv, put it, “Artificial intelligence empowers healthcare organizations to obtain and examine data and generate actionable insight quickly and concisely. By quickly uncovering insights and connections, facilities can efficiently enact new or updated protocols without biases—based on fact.” Keefe says better access to data leads to better AI-aided results—and senior living operators and others have better access to data than ever before.“It’s so much easier now for us to collect information from external devices—for example, vital sign monitoring like temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure—and also wearable devices such as Fitbits and Apple watches,” Keefe says. This helps not just to alleviate the burden on the caregiver but helps that caregiver provide much better care. 

One of the most compelling uses of AI in senior living today is the pursuit of preventing resident falls, a persistent and critical challenge for all providers. But, how does it work? AI “generally functions by recognizing patterns and then either suggesting optimal solutions for a human to implement or by actually implementing those solutions itself,” he says.

“For example, most modern cars have a multitude of sensors and other technologies that identify potential risks and then alert the driver to react,” Paprocki says. “That is very different from a fully self-driving car, where the AI not only identifies potential risks but reacts to those risks by autonomously operating the vehicle.”

Paprocki says AI solutions are still closer to the former part of the analogy than the latter—but change is coming.

As with other technological tools, the human component of AI is still vitally important. “We live in a time when staffing has never been harder in our industry,” Paprocki says. “Even if we had triple or quadruple the number of caregivers, we still couldn’t predict, observe, immediately react to, or know how to prevent all falls. And that’s where technology like AI can be lifesaving because it can function like an Iron Man suit for our frontline caregivers.” 

The future of senior care is here.