Ask Proactive – I’m a new DON at a skilled nursing facility and the team meeting procedures don’t appear to help the facility manage the resident or team’s needs. What items should I be sure we cover to make these meetings both efficient and effective for the team?

I’m a new DON at a skilled nursing facility and the team meeting procedures don’t appear to help the facility manage the resident or team’s needs. What items should I be sure we cover to make these meetings both efficient and effective for the team?I

A:

Ensuring clinical meetings are both effective and efficient will take planning, but it can happen. Some critical areas that should be addressed include:

• • • STAFFING: Include nursing staff as well as ancillary departments
    • INCIDENT REPORTS: Review for completion and Root Cause Analysis.
    • GRIEVANCES: Check status and any necessary follow up.
    • ORDER CHANGES: Ensure changes made and care plans updated.
    • LABS / XRAYS: Documentation of results and required notifications.
    • PENDING DISCHARGES: Resident family education, scheduling of GG, discharge orders needed.
    • PAYOR CHANGES AND FINANCIAL CONCERNS: Rehab status changes, documentation requirements.

Having a thorough and focused clinical meeting can and will assist you in effectively managing care needs, as well as regulatory and reimbursement requirements. Re-evaluate your meeting procedures often and, if something isn’t working for your facility and team, make adjustments. There is no set standard for how to run your team meetings – what works for your team and gets the job done is what needs to happen.