A Day in the Life of a Director of Nursing

The day of a Director of Nursing (DON) is a hectic one. Caring for seniors isn’t as simple as checking items off a list, there are multiple factors and people influencing their health on a daily basis — and it all needs to be documented. In their role, the DON is accountable for the quality of care provided to residents, administrative tasks, managing nursing staff, and helping their facility meet established strategic goals. Oh, and then there’s compiling and reviewing all the paper-based documentation created throughout the day.

With so many responsibilities, getting everything done in a timely and efficient manner can seem next to impossible, especially without the right technology in place. Utilizing an integrated system can save time on reviewing reports, overseeing nursing care, managing alerts, and collaborating with other care professionals.

Below, we’ve broken down what a typical day could look like for a DON with and without an integrated platform.

Start of shift: It’s important to get the scoop on what’s happening across the facility, which means accessing things like resident status alerts, assessment schedules, compliance monitors, and chart audit details…to name a few.

Instead of running several separate reports or chasing down staff to fill any holes, an integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can provide quick and easy access to every report — all on one screen. The DON can even drill in to the specific resident record right from the platform’s dashboard to review information or take follow up action.

End of shift: After taking a look at all the reports, the DON may notice that some of the documentation isn’t in sync — which is a huge issue. Should the surveyor come knocking, the result could be a written deficiency that’s costly to fix. And any missed information can impact the timely completion of assessments.

An integrated EHR shares critical data elements across the platform, reducing duplication, mismatched details, and holes in the records. Additionally, the platform captures MDS supporting data, which is then shared back for decision support directly into the MDS, Care Plan, and Assessment forms.

By using an integrated solution, the DON doesn’t have to search multiple locations to obtain critical information. Accessing a single source saves time while providing a more holistic view of facility operations and administered care. This allows the DON to make more informed decisions, and in a timely and efficient manner — which benefits the entire facility.

Sound too good to be true? Check out True Stories of Electronic Health Record Adoption, or see the real thing for yourself by clicking here.