La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-9765

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 5, May 20, 2024

Section I-9765 - Staff Orientation, Training and Education

A. New employees shall have an orientation program of sufficient scope and duration to inform the individual about his/her responsibilities and how to fulfill them.

B. The orientation program shall include at least a review of policies and procedures, job description and performance expectations prior to the employee performing his/her responsibilities.

C. A staff development program shall be conducted by competent staff and/or consultants and planned based upon employee performance appraisals, resident population served by the nursing facility and as determined by nursing facility staff. All employees shall participate in staff development programs which are planned and conducted for the development and improvement of their skills.

D. Training shall include, at a minimum, problems and needs common to the age, physical, mental and bio-psychosocial needs of the residents, and discharge planning of those being served, prevention and control of infections, fire prevention and safety, emergency preparedness, accident prevention, confidentiality of resident information and preservation of resident dignity and respect, including protection of privacy and personal and property rights.

E. The nursing facility's training shall be sufficient to ensure the continuing competence of the staff. Nursing assistants shall be provided a minimum of 12 hours of training per year.

F. Records of training shall be maintained indicating the content, date, time, names of employees in attendance, and the name of the individual(s) who conducted the training.

G. Dementia Training

1. All employees shall be trained in the care of persons diagnosed with dementia and dementia-related practices that include or that are informed by evidence-based care practices.

2. Nursing facility staff who provide care on a regular basis to residents in Alzheimer's special care units shall meet the following training requirements.

a. Staff who provide nursing and nursing assistant care to residents shall be required to obtain at least eight hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and five hours of dementia-specific training annually. The training shall include the following topics:

i. an overview of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias;

ii. communicating with persons with dementia;

iii. behavior management for persons with dementia;

iv. promoting independence in activities of daily living for persons with dementia; and

v. understanding and dealing with family issues for persons with dementia.

b. Staff who have regular communicative contact with residents, but who do not provide nursing and nursing assistant care, shall be required to obtain at least four hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and one hour of dementia training annually. This training shall include the following topics:

i. an overview of dementias; and

ii. communicating with persons with dementia.

c. Staff who have only incidental contact with residents shall receive general written information provided by the nursing facility on interacting with residents with dementia.

3. Nursing facility staff who are not regularly assigned to the Alzheimer's special care unit shall meet the following training requirements:

a. Staff who are not regularly assigned to the Alzheimer's special care unit, but still provide nursing assistant care in the facility shall be required to obtain four hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and two hours of dementia training annually.

b. Unlicensed staff who are not regularly assigned to the Alzheimer's special care unit and who have regular communicative contact with residents but do not provide nursing assistant care in the facility shall be required to obtain four hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and one hour of dementia training annually. The training shall include the following topics:

i. an overview of dementias; and

ii. communicating with persons with dementia.

c. Staff who have only incidental contact with residents shall receive general written information provided by the nursing facility on interacting with residents with dementia.

4. Staff delivering approved training will be considered as having received that portion of the training that they have delivered.

5. Any dementia-specific training received in a nursing or nursing assistant program approved by the Department of Health or the Department of Children and Family Services may be used to fulfill the training hours required pursuant to this Section.

6. Nursing facility providers shall offer an approved complete training curriculum themselves or shall contract with another organization, entity, or individual to provide the training.

7. The dementia-specific training curriculum shall be approved by the department. To obtain training curriculum approval, the organization, entity, or individual shall submit the following information to the department or its designee:

a. a copy of the curriculum;

b. the name and qualifications of the training coordinator;

c. a list of all instructors;

d. the location of the training; and

e. whether the training will be web-based.

8. A provider, organization, entity or individual shall submit any content changes to an approved training curriculum to the department, or its designee, for review and approval.

9. If a provider, organization, entity or individual, with an approved curriculum, ceases to provide training, the department shall be notified in writing within 30 days of cessation of training. Prior to resuming the training program, the provider, organization, entity, or individual shall reapply to the department for approval to resume the program.

10. Disqualification of Training Programs and Sanctions. The department may disqualify a training curriculum offered by a provider, organization, entity, or individual that has demonstrated substantial noncompliance with training requirements, including, but not limited to:

a. the qualifications of training coordinators; or

b. training curriculum requirements.

11. Compliance with Training Requirements. The review of compliance with training requirements shall include, at a minimum, a review of:

a. the existence of an approved training curriculum; and

b. the providers adherence to established training requirements.

12. The department may impose applicable sanctions for failure to adhere to the training requirements outlined in this Section.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-9765

Promulgated by the Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 421904 11/1/2016).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:2009.1-2116.