Hi !

Jeneva Bellefeuille
St. Otto's Care Center
Phone: 320-631-4103
Email: jenevab@stottos.org

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S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS

Every year the MN-DONA Board gathers together to orientate new Board members, review past accomplishments, review goals and mission, and gain knowledge and inspiration for the upcoming year.  This year the Board reviewed a process called SWOT analysis. 

S = Strengths
Maintains, builds, and leverages
W = Weaknesses
Need to remedy or exit these problems/issues
O = Opportunities
Ideal that could happen; what would it look like?
T = Threats
Anything that threatens your opportunities

Goal of the SWOT Process:
Working with a group to identify opportunities and set goals.

This is a process that can be used to look at systems, businesses, opportunities, products etc.  There are many internet sites that offer tools and ideas for facilitating a SWOT analysis such as www.mindtools.com, or www.businessballs.com, and it's easy to use.  The reason we as Director of Nurses can benefit from such a tool is that we are very quick to “fix”a problem, without taking the time to analyze the system, often putting a patch or band aid on a current system/policy or procedure.  This usually leads to repeatedly re-visiting the process as it is not working.

We all went through an exercise to think of a project in our facilities that needed to be “fixed”.  These projects included water pass, snacks, call light answering, education, and orientation, to name a few.  We identified the Strength of the process, then the Weakness, Opportunities and the Threats.  When we were completed with this process we could clearly see what opportunities we had, and we were ready to go back to our facilities and create goals and objectives to “fixing” our process.

Then as a group we looked at MN-DONA membership.  We identified all the strengths of being a member of MN-DONA - which went on for pages. This really reaffirmed that we are operating consistently with our mission and vision.  We continued with the process, and will forward our work to one of our MN-DONA committees to use for goal development.  We are excited to see what our committee will do with our work, and plan to continue to increase MN-DONA membership within our Long Term Care DON and ADONs.

Laura Seleen, District III Representative
St. Mary's Innovis Health/Oak Crossing
Phone: 218-346-4806
Email: lseleen@trustedcareforlife.org

 

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SETTING SMART OBJECTIVES

Nothing happens until we plan and good plans have goals and objectives. Setting goals and objectives correctly provides the necessary support and aids in their achievement. It is important to understand the difference between goals and objectives:

Goals relate to our aspirations, purpose and vision.
Objectives are the battle plan, the stepping stones on the path toward achieving goals.

The most well known method for setting objectives is the S.M.A.R.T. way. S.M.A.R.T. refers to the acronym that describes key characteristics of meaningful objectives, which are Specific (concrete, detailed, well-defined), Measurable (numbers, quantity, comparison), Achievable (feasible, actionable), Realistic (considering resources) and Time-Bound (a defined time line).

SMART objectives are the stepping stones towards achieving our goals.

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." - Unknown

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MN-DONA FALL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS SET!

MN-DONA Fall Conference Committee
Pat Perryman, Chair; Pat Bernstetter, Marcy Bork, Mary Jo Brandt, Cathy Garvin, Judy Hoff, Cindy Iverson, Barb Louis, Amy Olson, Nola Smith

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CALL FOR FALL CONFERENCE MINI MODULE PRESENTATIONS - DEADLINE JUNE 25TH!

The Fall Conference Committee is planning Mini Module Poster Presentations at this year's Fall Conference opening session. A Mini Module is a short educational session that covers a single topic, presented through the use of a Poster Display. The modules are 20 minutes in length, including Q & A, and encompass a long term care best practice, solution to a problem or a unique project you may have done in your facility. Your mini module information should be displayed visually on a poster and then verbally presented to a small group of attendees, using the poster as a guide. Your presentation will be repeated 3 additional times during the opening session of the Fall Conference.

This is your opportunity to share with other DONs/ADONs a best practice you have adopted in your facility, or something unique that is happening, innovative, creative, etc. The application is available on the MN-DONA website at www.mndona.org. The application deadline is June 25th!

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MN-DONA COMMITTEES TO MEET ON JULY 28!

RSVP for July Committee Meetings by July 16th

All MN-DONA Committees will be meeting on Wednesday, July 28 at the Kelly Inn in St. Cloud beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Sunwood Room. The committee meetings are extremely important for you to attend as we need your feedback on future direction for the committees. MN-DONA will reimburse you for your mileage and provide lunch for you as well. From 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. you are welcome to join the Board for the remainder of the meeting.

Please RSVP to the MN-DONA office (Best Meetings Inc.) by July 16, 2010, if you are planning on attending, (952.858.8875/800.958.8875 or via email at liz@bestmeetings.com).

Note: Do not reply directly to this email - it is important you use the email address above.

We look forward to seeing everyone on July 28th!

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MN-DONA SCHOLARSHIPS - DEADLINE: JULY 31, 2010

The 2010 MN-DONA Scholarship Application is now available online at the MN-DONA web site. There are two types of scholarships available to members or member-sponsored applicants. They are vendor sponsored scholarships and MN-DONA scholarships. There is also a special scholarship awarded in honor of MN-DONA's founding members that is available to a member pursuing further education in long-term care.

Applications are currently being accepted with a deadline of July 31, 2010. We encourage you to read the scholarship information and share the application with those you know that are pursuing nursing course work that will benefit long term care. In 2009 we awarded more than $14,000 in scholarships in large part due to the MN-DONA sponsors! Let's make 2010 an even better year!

MN-DONA and our vendor sponsors are proud to offer such a successful scholarship program. Please take a moment and share this information with those pursuing LTC nursing education. The scholarship application can be found on the MN-DONA website at www.mndona.org.

Remember to encourage your vendors to join in our sponsorship program and thank those who already are participating: Omnicare Minnesota, Thrifty White Pharmacy, On-Site Care LLC, Merwin LTC Pharmacy, Elim Preferred Services, SCA Personal Care, McKesson Corporation, Health Dimensions Group, DMS Health Technologies, Custom Medical Solutions, Northwest Respiratory Services, Aging Services of MN, HealthEast Medical Laboratory, Sterling Long Term Care, Coborn's Pharmacy, and Smith & Nephew.

If you have suggestions for other vendors for us to contact OR a vendor has indicated interest in joining the sponsorship program, please contact Shirley at Best Meetings - phone: 952-858-8875; email: shirley@bestmeetings.com.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT/PERSONAL BALANCE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS!

Each year at our Spring Conference and Annual Meeting, MN-DONA awards $500 scholarships for the purpose of furthering the education or personal well-being of a MN-DONA member who is currently working as a DON/ADON. Applicants could be seeking enrichment in the personal or professional arena with the money to be used for educational fees or a personal balance activity. From this pool of applicants, the following winners were announced at our Annual Meeting on April 9, 2010:

Personal Balance Scholarship Winner: Lisa Bahr, Director of Nursing, Annandale Care Center

With the scholarship money I was awarded, I used it to apply toward the funds needed to donate my time and skills for the Helps International medical trip I attended in March of this year. The trip was to Tejulta, Guatemala where I traveled with a medical team that provided surgical procedures to people in need. 114 surgeries were done from Monday through Friday; there were over 600 patients seen in clinic as well that week. I “worked” as a recovery nurse, helping provide basic nursing skills to those staying after their surgery (which was most, if not all of the surgical patients). That experience provided me the opportunity to use basic nursing skills and care for people who are less fortunate. The patients all very much appreciated our services and the trip was a wonderful experience. I thank MN-DONA for giving me the scholarship money that helped support this trip!
Thank you,
Lisa Bahr

Personal Balance Scholarship Winner: Julie Ann Manley-Hartje, Director of Nursing, Garden Court Chateau in Grand Rapids
Information to come in the next issue.

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MN-DONA SPRING CONFERENCE 2011 - NEW LOCATION!

Put these dates and location on your calendar now! Dates: April 14-15, 2011 Location: Country Inn and Suites, 1900 Premier Drive, Mankato, MN

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DISTRICT I NEWS!

District I continues to meet every other month, odd months. Currently Pioneer Care Center in Erskine has been hosting the meeting. The location is reviewed at each meeting to determine the best site to meet. A meeting was held on Thursday May 13^th with Nancy Gunderson, new District I representative, chairing the meeting. Discussion was held regarding rehab nursing and how each facility is doing with the rehab nursing programs. We also discussed activity staff and hours they work. Members welcomed Rachel Tuenge as the new DON at Mahnomen Health Center; Nancy called her and invited her to the next MNDONA meeting. We continue to encourage more involvement in the district meetings and encourage membership with MNDONA.

I want to welcome Nancy Gunderson as the new District 1 representative and wish her best of luck. I want to thank all District I DONs and MNDONA members for all the support and help that was given to me for the past year that I represented District I. It was a great experience and I encourage others to get involved with MNDONA as a member, as a member of a committee or as a Board member - it is really a beneficial and great experience.

Next meeting is July 8th at 1:30 pm at Pioneer Care Center in Erskine.

Submitted by

Lynae Finseth
Clinical Service Executive
First Care Medical Service

New District I Representative Information
Nancy Gunderson
Pioneer Memorial Care Center
Phone: 218-687-2365
Email: ngundersonpmcc@gvtel.com

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DISTRICT II NEWS!

District II meets monthly on the 3^rd Friday, at Blackwoods in Proctor, 12:30-2pm.  Usually 6-8 attend.  We discuss many topics including MDS 3.0, surveys, and staffing issues.  Recently we had Barb Elliott speak and present on the POLST form, Liz Sether from Aging Services came to answer questions on a variety of issues, and Kayla Keigley introduced herself and spoke on her new position as the area person for Emergency Preparedness. 

As of this month I will no longer be your District II Board member.  The four years that I served have been a very rewarding experience and I hope more of you will take the step to get involved with MN-DONA.  Our new District Board member is Melissa Pearson from Interfaith Care Center in Carlton. She has been the DON there for the past 3 years and has been in LTC for over 13 years.  Further updates will come from Melissa and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact her. 

Wendy Lonetto
Sunnyside Health Care Center

New District II Representative Information
Melissa Pearson
Inter-Faith Care Center
Phone: 218-384-8429
Email: mpearsonifcc@hotmail.com

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DISTRICT III NEWS!

The Director of Nurses in District III continue to meet every other month.  Our last meeting was at the Spring Conference, and we are looking forward to meeting Friday, June 10^th. During our meetings we have a chance to share best practices, offer support to each other, and gain insight to our difficult challenges.  Often we are able to share celebrations.  Recently Amy Olson, Director of Nursing at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls, reported back-to-back VA and MDH surveys – both with “0” deficiencies!  Congratulations to Amy and her staff.

Laura Seleen, District III Representative
St. Mary's Innovis Health/Oak Crossing
Phone: 218-346-4806
Email: lseleen@trustedcareforlife.org
 

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DISTRICT IV NEWS!

In the month of June many events are celebrated. June is the beginning of summer. It is also National Ice Tea Month, Aquarium Month, Dairy Month, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Tennis Month, and National Rivers Month. Oh, and by the way it is also a time to celebrate the work a very special group of people do each and every day; June is when we celebrate the endless giving and compassion which comes from the heart of the nursing assistant. In honor of nursing assistants, I would like to take the time to summarize how I feel about this very special group of people.

Nursing assistant work cannot be overstated; it is the foundation for the care we provide in long term care. In essence, we would not exist if we did not have nursing assistants. The work carried out each and every day, unassuming and unpretentious as it is, is the most important activity which takes place within the facility. The nursing assistant caregiver offers the resident a level of compassion which cannot be matched by any other discipline.

Nursing assistants have the ability to sense when a resident is lonely, they offer a friendly gesture, and a smile which says in an instant, “I care about you.” Nursing assistants offer encouragement, “one more step, you can do it!” Nursing assistants offer empathy, “it must be hard to leave your apartment.” Nursing assistants offer hope, “Tomorrow will be a better day.” Nursing assistants offer stability, “I’m here to help you.” Nursing assistants see beyond what looks to be the obvious “you're angry, tell me why?" Sometimes I think nursing assistants have a sixth sense, a radar, and intuition – given by a higher power. You won’t find this skill listed on their job description, yet it is the core of what they do.

Nursing assistants should be paid a higher wage- what price would you put on compassion, empathy, and caring that comes from the heart? There is no dollar amount which reflects the joy, the spirit and the investment of human potential carried out day in and day out by this group of people. There is no budget large enough to reimburse them for the gifts they bring to the residents of long term care.

So, during the month of June, as we celebrate summer and all the other celebrations, please take the time to thank a Nursing Assistant. Tell them how important they are, pat them on the back, and honor them as caregivers, for they are very important people. Better yet- don’t limit this focus to the month of June. Keep the praise coming all year long! Nursing assistants deserve recognition for the hard work they do, we shouldn’t limit it to one week or month. Thank you nursing assistants for all you do! You’re the best!

I have been elected to be Corresponding Secretary for MN-DONA. Annette Schroeder will be your new District IV Representative. Congratulations Annette!

Mary Thesing RN DON
New River Medical Center Rehab and Extended Care

District IV met at Old Chicago, the first Wednesday of the month, June 2, 2010. We had 20 DON/ADONs in attendance
 
Jeneva Bellefeuille gave an update from the most recent MNDONA Board meeting.
 
Annette had organized our Speaker who was Liz Sether from Aging Services.
Liz discussed topics on:
1. ABN forms (advance beneficiary notice of coverage) ---there is a lot of confusion in the group on what forms are the correct forms that CMS require for Medicare. Liz will be checking into this further;
2. Feeding Assistance policy----concerns from last MDH phone conference call----volunteer versus visitor versus family;
3. Falls –building and strengthening fall prevention programs   Falls Champion/ Reduction of medications;
4. Legislative updates;
5. Scope Practice in Nsg. Role of the LPN ---Educational advancements of Registered Nurses; and
6. Nurse Licensure Compact.
 
Hot topics on round robin were: surveys, transport of body with changes in legislation coming in August, staffing, facilities census, statewide phone call with MDH June 14^th, MDH statewide education for MDS 3.0, issues with discharge planning and referrals, safe lift handling, upcoming conference for geriatric LTC September 28^th with Nancy Kollman.
 
Thank you to Brenda from McKesson who sponsors our group.
 
Next scheduled meeting date: July 7^th, Wednesday at Old Chicago. Jeneva is arranging speaker Kay Greenly from St. Cloud hospital.
 
Annette Schroeder, District IV Representative
Hilltop Care Center
Phone: 320-764-2300
Email: aschroeder@pahcs.com

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DISTRICT V NEWS!

District 5 North met in March.  Discussion concerned advance directives, families/volunteers feeding residents and, of course, infection control.

Region 5 South met in April.  Discussed infection control and MDS 3.0 start up.

The next meeting may be jointly with North and South in Marshall on July 15 with Liz Sether, Aging Services, presenting.

Lenore Wendorff, District V Representative
Maplelawn Nursing Home
Phone: 507-425-2571
Email: lenore@maplelawn.org

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DISTRICT VI NEWS!

District VI met on May 12, 2010 at 12 Noon at Pathstone Living in Mankato.  17 nurses attended. Jean shared information regarding the filling of oxygen cylinders from an oxygen concentrator. We discussed the need for policy and procedures regarding family members claiming and wishing to transport a body upon death.  We will await an implementation date and more detail. We discussed the avoidable hospital readmission for CHF, Acute MI’s and pneumonia which will come into effect 10/01/12. Liz Sether, Aging Services,  plans to attend our district meeting in July. Surveys were discussed.  Overall, everyone reports they do like the QIS survey but one concern is that they are not told much information at the exit conference so it is very difficult to begin the plan of correction at the end of the survey but need to wait until the final report is sent.  There is a lot of cross reference tags.  MDS planning meetings are taking place in facilities to plan for the start up of the MDS 3.0. Hillcrest is having a CLIA survey. We discussed inservice training.  Some facilities are using the online training and are pleased with it. One facility reported on their restorative nursing program.  They are adding dollars to their revenue through their program.
The next meeting will be July 14^th at Pathstone Living.
Toni Bandow Ostendorf is your new District VI Representative. Congratulations to Toni!

Submitted by Jean Steinhauer

New District VI Representative Information:
Toni Bandow Ostendorf
Jackson Good Samaritan
Phone: 507-847-3100
Email: tbandow@good-sam.com

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DISTRICT VII NEWS!

It was so good to see some of you at Spring Conference!! We had a great District VII meeting; we did some sharing of best practices and what was happening at our facilities. District VII continues to meet in 3 different areas, quarterly. Our next meetings are in July. Please check the MN-DONA website for the dates and locations of a meeting that works with your schedule. We would love to see you at an area meeting - they provide education and networking which is valuable to your role as DON/ADON.

Best regards,
Libby Lindberg, District VII Representative
Jones-Harrison Residence
Phone: 612-925-7291
Email: lindberg@Jones-harrison.org

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MN-DONA LIAISON REPORT - CARE PROVIDERS LEGISLATIVE FORUM COMMITTEE - May 7, 2010

Discussed the following: Legislative session coming to an end, things are very busy at the Capitol. Discussed the comparison of the Governor, House and Senate on their proposals. Discussed the Big Picture- the Governor's veto letter for the reform on the GAMC , both House and Senate introduced omnibus budget bills. The Governor feels that this bill is very expensive as it would include raising health care taxes. He feels that passing this bill would compromise the GAMC negotiations and send false hope to HCMC and other hospitals. Other bills discussed and what work is left to complete.
-the session is to end on May 17, 2010. The state's deficit now could be as large as $3 billion. The pressure is on and the clock is ticking. The Governor is meeting with legislative leaders to begin to craft a budget solution.
-Pawlenty's solo budget balancing last year, known as unallotment, cut about $300 million from aid to cities and counties. Officials said they can live with that budget bite but could barely survive if cuts go any deeper. Pawlenty's administration officials said that Minnesota's budget cannot survive if any other major recipient of state funding comes forward and demands back payment. The Governor called an "emergency cabinet meeting" to talk about "planning in the event of a government shutdown or a reduction of government services". This is a sign of how serious the situation is. (from Star Tribune May 7, 2010).
-encouraged members to contact members of the Conference Committee to emphasize the following:
-older adult services funding should be a priority,
-stop the cuts to Elderly Waiver, and
-stop government intrusion into seniors' decision making.

Next meeting date June 3, 2010

Submitted by Pat Perryman
Golden Living Center - Meadow Lane
Phone: 320-843-2225
Email: patricia.perryman@goldenliving.com

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MN-DONA LIAISON REPORT- MEDICAL DIRECTOR COLLABORATIVE MEETING

Discussion Items:
1. Current legislative bills that have been drafted and the impact on long term care.
2. Discussion with Darcy from MDH on need for hazardous waste disposal (medication). Each facility that is flushing down the toilet needs a number from pollution control department. You can go to the MNTap web site or hazardous waste management as well as pollution control web site to find out how to apply for a number.
3. Discussion on the difficult job of the DON in LTC. Discussion on certification for DONs was held and how the Medical Director can assist in supporting the DONs.
4. Lisa Edstrom from the University of MN with MAGEC presented on the Federal Grant available to create faculty to help in education of LTC staff. A focus could be palliative care and pain management.

Next meeting will be June 17, 2010

Submitted by Mary Hafner
Elim Care Inc.
Phone: 952-259-4467
Email: mhafner@elimcare.org

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MN-DONA LIAISON REPORT - CLINICAL PRACTICE COMMITTEE - April 27, 2010

A review and report of the progress made in the development of the toolkit sections for Reducing Unnecessary Medications was presented by the workgroup team leads. Overall good progress is being made on all chapters of the toolkit with anticipation for the completed toolkit by the next meeting on June 22^nd.

Invited guest brought valuable information to consider how it can be incorporated into the toolkit. Eva Lanigan, RN, from Sunrise Home in Two Harbors, MN shared her successful story of how the team at Sunrise Home took the initiative with her lead to study how unnecessary medications could be reduced. The change took approximately 1 year and in 6 months antipsychotics were eliminated and decreases in the antidepressants as well. Eva emphasized it took getting the primary physicians buy in.

Dr. Robert Sontag, Medical Director, demonstrated with several case studies how the “chart jeopardy” exercise he has developed can eliminate unnecessary medications when the review of the chart content goes beyond the medical diagnosis. Sontag pointed out that he believes elderly persons are over medicated and experience significant side effects because of polypharmacy.

Jeff Lindoo, pharmacist, expressed his interest in contributing documents from Thrifty White to assist and guide the clinical staff in having readily available data and information to be used when making decisions regarding medications and their effectiveness or not. It is very important that staff communicate areas of concern; the consultant pharmacist spends an average of 3 minutes per chart.

Behavior management was selected by the committee to be studied. Brief open dialogue followed as to what the focus shall be with the intent that it be useful to members in the delivery of the service to residents in achieving positive resident outcomes.

Next meeting June 22, 2010 at Presbyterian Homes in Roseville.

Diane Hagedorn, Committee Member
Rice Care Center - Willmar
Phone: 320-214-2755
Email: dhage@rice.willmar.mn.us

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MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT - MN-DONA NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The bad news is MN-DONA membership has been declining. The good news is YOU can help increase MN-DONA membership by contacting new DONs/ADONs in your area to invite them to join MN-DONA and attend an upcoming district meeting. The goal of MN-DONA is to increase membership to 300 by next year's Annual Meeting.

When you approach potential members, you might want to emphasize that the education and networking opportunities provided by MN-DONA are valuable to professional development as a DON/ADON and outline some of the key elements of the chapter's mission, vision and values.

Mission: To promote leadership excellence through education, networking, mentoring and advocacy for the benefit of our members and the people in the communities we serve.

Vision: To be known as a leader in the evolving climate in long term care.

Values:

• Developing leaders;

• Advocating for the benefit of our members and the communities we serve;

• Promoting the significance of the role of nursing administrators;

• Partnering with other entities for the benefit of our organization;

• Promoting/providing opportunities for networking within our organization; and

• Sharing/promoting best practices that promote/ensure the highest quality of
  care and quality of life.

Thank you so much for all your efforts on behalf of our organization!

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