Description

Thanks to HCAF's advocacy efforts, the Florida Legislature passed legislation in 2020 (HB 607) that allows certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health aides to take on expanded duties under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN). Now that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has completed its rulemaking process, we want to know how your agency ensures compliance and implements the new rules.

The Florida Administrative Register, specifically sections 59A-8.0097, 59A-8.0216, and 59A-8.219, outlines the requirements for the medication administration program, training, and RN delegation of tasks. Effective May 24, 2023, CNAs and home health aides must complete six (6) hours of training through course-based modules, pass a written test, and demonstrate proficiency to perform the additional tasks.

The primary objective of this webinar series is to equip those that will be training non-licensed personnel with the necessary skills to administer medications safely to homebound individuals. Additionally, we aim to support agencies in ensuring compliance if nurses delegate tasks to CNAs and home health aides. While each agency is responsible for fulfilling the in-person competencies mandated by the new law, home care agency owners/operators, administrators, and clinical managers will be provided access to policy templates, reference materials, and sample test questions with corresponding answers.

This series is designed for RNs considering delegating additional tasks and the individuals that will teach RNs and Aides how to meet the critical requirements. We recommend taking the entire series and so have priced the series accordingly as the whole course rather than individual sessions. While we encourage live participation to facilitate interaction and question-and-answer opportunities with the presenter, we understand the flexibility and convenience of accessing the recorded sessions. On-demand recordings will be available on HCAF's online training platform, HomeCareLearn.com, by the Monday following the live webinar (if not sooner).

Modules will be covered in varying lengths of time depending on the level of complexity. The following are some examples of learning objectives to be covered:

• Overview of course requirements, certification, and recertification
• Basic principles of medication - The five (5) rights of medication administration
• Medication interactions and adverse reactions
• Comprehension of medication labels
• Clarifying medication orders
• Documentation of all medication administration tasks in written and electronic form

Live webinars are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Part 1: Wednesday, August 9, 1:00-3:00 PM ET
• Part 2: Wednesday, August 23, 1:00-3:00 PM ET
• Part 3: Thursday, September 21, 1:00-3:00 PM ET *postponed due to Idalia

Ensuring the safe and lawful delegation of tasks is crucial. This program will guide you in achieving that. Register today and let's embark on this training journey together!

Meet the Speaker

Heather Curren, RN, BSN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-H
Director of Education Coding and OASIS Division, SimiTree

Heather has been in the home care industry for the past 30 years. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1992. She has extensive field and case management experience in both home health and hospice. Heather has held various positions in home health and hospice agencies including supervisor, performance improvement coordinator, staff development director and appeals auditor. She has a vast knowledge of state and federal regulatory guidelines. Heather has also written many policies and procedures to include standardized nursing procedures for submission to the nursing board. Performance improvement activities, auditing and development of state actions plans are also areas of expertise for Heather. She has taken the lead role in the preparation of home health and hospice agencies for accreditation by the state and also CHAP and ACHC. Although, education remains Heather’s passion in this rapidly changing home health and hospice industry. Heather holds certifications in OASIS competency, COS-C and as a Homecare Coding Specialist Diagnosis and Hospice, HCS-D & HCS-H. She has authored a book on medical necessity for home health. Heather currently works as a Director of Education for SimiTree HC in the coding and OASIS division. She enjoys spending time with family, is an avid football fan and enjoys time spent with her children and new grandson.

Continuing Education Info

Upon completion of the entire program, participants will earn 6.0 continuing education units (CEUs) in skilled nursing, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology.

Sponsors Welcome

HCAF offers a multitude of ways for home care industry vendors to promote their products and services throughout this series across the state, including in-person and virtual sponsorship opportunities. For more information about sponsoring this webinar program or the full webinar series, please contact Patti Heid, Senior Director of Best Practices & Compliance, at (850) 222-8967 or pheid@homecarefla.org.