New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy recently signed three bills into law to improve infection prevention and control responses in nursing homes. The three bills signed into law are designed to ensure that staff have access to training, resources, and education that may be needed. The laws also allow for pilot professional advancement programs for nurse aides, assessing and improving nursing homes infrastructure, and ensuring complete and accurate reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes.
The first law will require the Board of Nursing and the Department of Health to review the curriculum and clinical experience requirements for nurses and certified nurse aides and incorporate the Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course offered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or a successor course, into staff education. Under the new law, the Department of Health (DOH) will also be required to work with long-term care facilities and labor organizations to establish a pilot program to develop standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides.
The second law will require the DOH to conduct a Statewide nursing home infection control and prevention infrastructure assessment and develop a statewide plan to improve existing systems.
The third law will require the DOH to display on its website the total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths of employees and residents of long-term care facilities in the State by facility since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the total number of new daily COVID-19 cases and deaths of employees and residents.
New Jersey Senator Vin Gopal stated, “It is widely known that COVID-19 disproportionately affects the elderly, and, as a result, many of our state’s elderly citizens have succumbed to COVID-19 in the last several months. In order to help our people, we must take actions to hold facilities accountable for tallying their total cases and deaths. By doing this, we can see where and when spikes are occurring and take appropriate measures to stop them.”
Compliance Perspective
Issue
The ongoing pandemic has allowed the opportunity to recognize the importance of maintaining an effective Infection Control Prevention Plan. Healthcare facilities must remain vigilant against the spread of COVID-19 and other infections. As more is researched and learned about the COVID-19 virus, healthcare personnel must stay up-to-date on the important changes and train all staff on the available information.
Discussion Points
- Review your Infection Control Plan. Ensure that it includes the most up-to-date information available.
- Train all staff on your Infection Control Plan periodically and when new information becomes available. Place training documentation in each employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to ensure that all staff are following your Infection Control Plan and that the content of the plan includes the most current information and requirements.
