- Email: [email protected]
Assisted Living Nurse Specialty Certification Examination
OFFICIAL SECTION OF THE
American Assisted Living Nurses Association AALNA New Chapter-Building Guide The AALNA Board of Directors adopted in 2005 a ‘‘New Chapter-Building Philosophy’’ and has directed its efforts with the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) to form affiliate partnerships to aid in formation of State AALNA Chapters. AALNAs primary goal is to build and develop chapters that contribute to improving the practice of nursing in assisted living. As soon as a state chapter is formed, AALNA will develop a special chapter-specific page on its national Web site. State affiliates are to submit information to the Assisted Living Nurses Report now published by Geriatric Nursing.
Benefits of Chapterhood for Nurses
Collegial exchange of current nursing best practices information Educational offerings/continuing education unit (i.e., contact hours) Improved information exchange on current state-specific regulatory requirements Sharing new products and services appropriate to AL practice
Benefits for Providers
Nurse morale improves because isolation is reduced Improved risk management through better practice knowledge Shared cost-effective learning opportunities For information on how to build a state chapter in your area and obtain a copy of the guide, call the AALNA National Office at (707) 253-7299 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.010
Assisted Living Nurse Specialty Certification Examination The AALNA assisted living nurse specialty certification examination tests nursing knowledge of
434
older adult care in assisted living facilities. It is administered online, takes about 2 hours to complete, and can be taken up to 3 times in the event of failure to pass. Certification is good for 4 years and is renewable with proof of a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education.
Item distribution in the AALNA Certification Examination
Primary care considerations: includes demographics, theories of aging, normal aging, pharmacological considerations (approximately 20% of items) Major health problems/review of systems: common health problems and interventions (approximately 50% of items) Organization of health care delivery: regulations and acts (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Medicare. (approximately 15% of items) Professional practice: management theory; staff development; research and informed consent; negligence and error; ethical issues in practice; delegation and decision making; budget preparation (approximately 15% of items) On the AALNA Web site: Study Guide; assisted living RN and LPN/LVN Competencies; Scope and Standards of Practice for an assisted living nurse; practice questions; link to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (free review course).
Sample Questions: RN 1.
Select the incorrect response regarding Health Care Proxy (HCP). a. In some states, it is called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. b. The designated HCP agent or decision maker can never be changed. c. An HCP is a legal document in all 50 states. d. HCP agents represent the wishes of an incapacitated individual.
Geriatric Nursing, Volume 29, Number 6
2.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA, requires everything listed below except a. personal insurance and liability policy for every adult. b. protection of personal information transmitted electronically. c. patient consent to disclose health information. d. rigorous protection of patient information in research protocols. Answers: 1b; 2a
Calculate the rate for several months, then make a determination of what falls rate is acceptable for your facility. 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.012
From the Executive Director, AALNA Kathleen McDermott
Sample Questions: LPN/LVN 1.
A living will is an advance directive that a. must be followed regardless of the clinical circumstances. b. protects the health care provider from frivolous lawsuits. c. states the treatments that an individual wants or does not want. d. must always be accompanied by a Health Care Proxy directive. 2. Which condition does NOT contribute to developing a deep vein thrombosis? a. Venous stasis b. Injury to the veins c. A history of cancer d. Isometric exercise Answers: 1c; 2d 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.011
Black Box Warning: Falls Rate Calculation Calculate and track falls rate on a monthly basis. Formula: the number of resident falls divided by the number of resident bed days of care (BDOC), multiplied by 1000. (BDOC is the census across a period of time; for example, BDOC would be 1800 given a census of 60 residents for 30 days.) Example: 4 residents fell during the previous month, during which there were 1800 BDOC. Calculation: 4 1800 3 1000 5 2.2% falls rate. Benchmarking: there is no benchmark for falls in assisted living residences; go for the fewest!
Geriatric Nursing, Volume 29, Number 6
Executive Director, AALNA
Joy Unwrapped, The Perfect Present Catalogs jamming your mailbox before the autumnal equinox; eight-foot snow globes on display in stores by Columbus Day; and you deleted 17 ‘‘64 Days till Christmas!’’ e-mail alerts before you raked your first leaf. Back in October, you couldn’t believe the holiday season was upon you. Now you can’t believe you have so much to do. Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, the feeling is too often the same—abject terror over the tasks at hand. But sometimes life’s greatest joys occur in those rare quiet moments when we reflect on holidays past and what those memories mean to us. Somewhere in the back of our minds there is always one special memory that stands out among all the rest: a family dinner, buying yourself a deeply wished for present, a favorite relative, the new PJs with flaps in the back, or the year Aunt Millie left the plastic bag in the turkey. Those memories become part of who we are and what we have become. This season can also bring sadness for some families; perhaps because their loved one is no longer able to reminisce with them, is unable to share in the happiness brought on by a joyful memory. Celebrating the season with someone who has dementia can be both emotional and challenging. Little can be done to bring back the lost memories—but we can create new ones, even are recalled only for the moment. These holidays are a time for showing those around us how much we care. There’s not a tree, a present, a jingle bell, or an elf that comes
435
American Assisted Living Nurses Association AALNA New Chapter-Building Guide The AALNA Board of Directors adopted in 2005 a ‘‘New Chapter-Building Philosophy’’ and has directed its efforts with the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) to form affiliate partnerships to aid in formation of State AALNA Chapters. AALNAs primary goal is to build and develop chapters that contribute to improving the practice of nursing in assisted living. As soon as a state chapter is formed, AALNA will develop a special chapter-specific page on its national Web site. State affiliates are to submit information to the Assisted Living Nurses Report now published by Geriatric Nursing.
Benefits of Chapterhood for Nurses
Collegial exchange of current nursing best practices information Educational offerings/continuing education unit (i.e., contact hours) Improved information exchange on current state-specific regulatory requirements Sharing new products and services appropriate to AL practice
Benefits for Providers
Nurse morale improves because isolation is reduced Improved risk management through better practice knowledge Shared cost-effective learning opportunities For information on how to build a state chapter in your area and obtain a copy of the guide, call the AALNA National Office at (707) 253-7299 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.010
Assisted Living Nurse Specialty Certification Examination The AALNA assisted living nurse specialty certification examination tests nursing knowledge of
434
older adult care in assisted living facilities. It is administered online, takes about 2 hours to complete, and can be taken up to 3 times in the event of failure to pass. Certification is good for 4 years and is renewable with proof of a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education.
Item distribution in the AALNA Certification Examination
Primary care considerations: includes demographics, theories of aging, normal aging, pharmacological considerations (approximately 20% of items) Major health problems/review of systems: common health problems and interventions (approximately 50% of items) Organization of health care delivery: regulations and acts (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Medicare. (approximately 15% of items) Professional practice: management theory; staff development; research and informed consent; negligence and error; ethical issues in practice; delegation and decision making; budget preparation (approximately 15% of items) On the AALNA Web site: Study Guide; assisted living RN and LPN/LVN Competencies; Scope and Standards of Practice for an assisted living nurse; practice questions; link to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (free review course).
Sample Questions: RN 1.
Select the incorrect response regarding Health Care Proxy (HCP). a. In some states, it is called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. b. The designated HCP agent or decision maker can never be changed. c. An HCP is a legal document in all 50 states. d. HCP agents represent the wishes of an incapacitated individual.
Geriatric Nursing, Volume 29, Number 6
2.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA, requires everything listed below except a. personal insurance and liability policy for every adult. b. protection of personal information transmitted electronically. c. patient consent to disclose health information. d. rigorous protection of patient information in research protocols. Answers: 1b; 2a
Calculate the rate for several months, then make a determination of what falls rate is acceptable for your facility. 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.012
From the Executive Director, AALNA Kathleen McDermott
Sample Questions: LPN/LVN 1.
A living will is an advance directive that a. must be followed regardless of the clinical circumstances. b. protects the health care provider from frivolous lawsuits. c. states the treatments that an individual wants or does not want. d. must always be accompanied by a Health Care Proxy directive. 2. Which condition does NOT contribute to developing a deep vein thrombosis? a. Venous stasis b. Injury to the veins c. A history of cancer d. Isometric exercise Answers: 1c; 2d 0197-4572/08/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.09.011
Black Box Warning: Falls Rate Calculation Calculate and track falls rate on a monthly basis. Formula: the number of resident falls divided by the number of resident bed days of care (BDOC), multiplied by 1000. (BDOC is the census across a period of time; for example, BDOC would be 1800 given a census of 60 residents for 30 days.) Example: 4 residents fell during the previous month, during which there were 1800 BDOC. Calculation: 4 1800 3 1000 5 2.2% falls rate. Benchmarking: there is no benchmark for falls in assisted living residences; go for the fewest!
Geriatric Nursing, Volume 29, Number 6
Executive Director, AALNA
Joy Unwrapped, The Perfect Present Catalogs jamming your mailbox before the autumnal equinox; eight-foot snow globes on display in stores by Columbus Day; and you deleted 17 ‘‘64 Days till Christmas!’’ e-mail alerts before you raked your first leaf. Back in October, you couldn’t believe the holiday season was upon you. Now you can’t believe you have so much to do. Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, the feeling is too often the same—abject terror over the tasks at hand. But sometimes life’s greatest joys occur in those rare quiet moments when we reflect on holidays past and what those memories mean to us. Somewhere in the back of our minds there is always one special memory that stands out among all the rest: a family dinner, buying yourself a deeply wished for present, a favorite relative, the new PJs with flaps in the back, or the year Aunt Millie left the plastic bag in the turkey. Those memories become part of who we are and what we have become. This season can also bring sadness for some families; perhaps because their loved one is no longer able to reminisce with them, is unable to share in the happiness brought on by a joyful memory. Celebrating the season with someone who has dementia can be both emotional and challenging. Little can be done to bring back the lost memories—but we can create new ones, even are recalled only for the moment. These holidays are a time for showing those around us how much we care. There’s not a tree, a present, a jingle bell, or an elf that comes
435