December 13, 2023
1–2 p.m. CT
Human Resources
Depending on the organizational structure of the nursing home, the Director of Nursing will serve in a human resource capacity related to interviewing, hiring, disciplining, and potentially terminating nursing staff. It is essential for the Director of Nursing to have a basic knowledge of best practices for human resources.
• Incorporate strategies for pre-employment screening and interviewing processes for nursing department personnel.
• Discuss the requirements for criminal background checks, adult abuse registry checks, license/certification verification, and occupational health.
• Identify best practices to prevent employee concerns regarding the ADA and Civil Rights laws.

Faculty:
Krissy Gilbreth, Human Resources Director, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Iowa City
Krissy graduated summa cum laude from Columbia Southern University, majoring in Human Resources. Krissy began her career in 2005 with Oaknoll Retirement Residence as the Administrative Assistant in the Health Center. In 2007, Krissy took a position in Minnesota, serving as a Trainer for a large corporation and moved back to the Iowa City area in 2012. Krissy was welcomed back to Oaknoll 10 years ago and is now their Human Resources Director.

2:15–4:30 p.m. CT (A 15-minute break will be scheduled during this session)
Developing an Effective Infection Prevention & Control Program
Infection prevention and control has never been more critical to providing a safe environment for the
residents served. This session will include the required components of the infection prevention and
control program according to the federal requirements of participation including elements on the CMS
Critical Element Pathway, antibiotic stewardship, and infection surveillance in nursing homes.
• Recognize components of a compliant infection prevention and control program.
• Identify best practices related to antibiotic stewardship.
• Utilize the CMS Critical Element Pathway as a quality assurance monitoring tool.

Faculty:
Deb Martin, RN, BSN, IP, Account Executive, CE Solutions/VGM Education, Waterloo
Deb Martin was a DON for 10 years in a skilled facility prior to coming to work at VGM Education as an account Executive. She provides content for courses and recently was part of a team that developed an Infection Control tool. Deb worked in a long-term care facility for ten years as a director of nursing.

December 14, 2023
1–4:30 p.m. CT (Two 15-minute breaks will be scheduled during this session)
Regulations Relevant to the Nursing Department Part 2
This session will include strategies for maintaining compliance regarding federal regulations with focuses in the nursing department. The following sections from Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual (SOM) will be covered in-depth including regulatory language, developing strategies for strong prevention programs in accordance with interpretative guidance, and examples of non-compliance.
• Quality of Care
• Physician’s Services
• Nursing Services
• Behavioral Health
In addition, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement examples will be provided during discussion on each regulation.
• Review the regulations pertaining to the nursing department and resident care.
• Establish effective compliant programs to prevent resident harm and non-compliance.
• Discuss examples of non-compliance based on previous deficient practices as cited in Iowa.
• Develop quality assurance monitors to assure ongoing regulatory compliance.