Integrating Principles of Safety Culture and Just Culture Into Nursing Homes: Lessons From the Pandemic

Staffing Patterns in US Nursing Homes During COVID-19 Outbreaks

“… 22 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided temporary funding for such teams, and anecdotal reports indicate that they were helpful in addressing emergency staff shortages. 23 , 24 Policy makers might also consider broad investment in nursing home workers through better pay and benefits, such as increasing Medicaid reimbursements alongside wage pass-through requirements. 25 Finally, policy makers should question whether traditional staffing measures accurately capture the adequacy of staffing levels during a pandemic or if new measures are needed.…”

“…These teams can be organized at the state or federal level and could provide supplemental staffing to facilities experiencing severe outbreaks . The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided temporary funding for such teams, and anecdotal reports indicate that they were helpful in addressing emergency staff shortages . Policy makers might also consider broad investment in nursing home workers through better pay and benefits, such as increasing Medicaid reimbursements alongside wage pass-through requirements .…”

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for long term care facilities

“…How to ensure the safety of LTCF residents from the current and inevitable future pandemics is a significant task. As done in many Asian countries after the 2003 SARS pandemic, policymakers globally should seize the opportunity offered by the COVID-19 wake-up - to engage in transforming existing public health systems and increasing adaptability while constantly striving to improve LTCF IP&C efforts [8 ▪▪ ,72]. From a systemic perspective, the 2P2R crisis management framework should be incorporated within health systems.…”

“…P/P refers to continuous risk monitoring and analysis throughout the inter-crisis phase. Post-COVID-19 P/P in LTCFs should include establishing a systematic and comprehensive national surveillance and data collection system to gather information useful to developing new best practices in crisis management [25 ▪▪ ,71–73]. ‘Surge capacity’ is a central aspect of P/P since during pandemics, it ensures adequate supplies of equipment and staff and the ability to adapt to unexpected challenges.…”

“…These personnel are then able to implement IP&C programs including surveillance for early detection, hand hygiene campaigns, staff training and, when needed, deployment of teams in crisis situations. These initiatives were improved in some countries as a reaction to SARS 2003 and should be adopted elsewhere [70,72,73]. LTCFs should integrate into this system, adopting IP&C protocols that adhere to similar best practices and medical standards.…”