APRNs reduce hospitalization of nursing home residents

Researchers with the Missouri Quality Initiative report staffing nursing homes with full-time advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) backed by an operations support team reduced unnecessary hospitalizations of nursing home residents. The project, designed by the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office in collaboration with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, ran from 2014 to 2019 in 16 nursing homes in St. Louis and surrounding areas. Eleven of the 16 nursing homes saw a sustained decline in their hospital transfer rate. The researchers favor abolishing state regulations that limit APRNs from practicing to the full extent allowed by their licenses.