For Immediate Release:
Nov. 19, 2009
Contact: Ian Cordes, Director of Operations
(561) 659-2167, icordes@bellsouth.net
 

FADONA Establishes “Principles of Excellence” for Florida Directors of Nursing in Long-Term Care
— Principles support the provision of long-term care services that are desired, meaningful, successful and efficient.

West Palm Beach, Fla. — Florida Association Directors of Nursing Administration/LTC (FADONA) President Bonnie Cruz is pleased to announce that FADONA has developed and recently approved its “Principles of Excellence for Florida Directors of Nursing.” The principles are aimed at assisting directors of nursing in fostering creative leadership in long-term care (LTC). The document was first unveiled during the annual convention this past April where nearly 30 statewide nurse executives came together to participate in an exciting FADONA Think Tank.

The Think Tank was facilitated by Mary Tellis-Nayak, vice president of My InnerView, who has spent many years working in the LTC areas of nursing and operational management. The Think Tank spawned this historic document which describes the leading principles of excellence to which participants crafted during the session and to which every member was subsequently contacted by mail after the conference to solicit additional input. The “Principles” are divided into five domains: Mission & Vision, Culture of Quality, Resident Care & Quality-of-Life, Caregivers & Staff, and Finance. These five areas encourage the director of nursing to follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the facility so that the most effective and safest care can be delivered to its patients/residents.

Part of the “Principles of Excellence’s” Mission & Vision is to collaborate with operational leadership to articulate and gain support for the organization’s goals through the development of a strategic plan. It also encourages the promotion of professional relationships with nursing and other LTC associations, regulators, surveyors, and legislators.
Through the collaboration with statewide nurse executives and FADONA members working in LTC, the board of directors of FADONA established “Principles of Excellence for Directors of Nursing in Long-Term Care.” FADONA president, Bonnie Cruz offered some more insight into its development, “These principles will serve as a great resource for directors of nursing and provide them with the tools to deliver the best care possible.”

“We are indebted to Think Tank Chair Robin Bleier and Co-chair Carmen Shell for their foresight and dedication to long-term care and to the residents in which we all serve,” Cruz added.

It should be noted that these principles are aspirational in nature and intended to foster self-appraisal and continuous performance improvement. The principles are neither inflexible rules nor requirements of practice. They are not intended nor should they be used to establish a legal standard of care.

FADONA’s “Principles of Excellence” may be found at www.fadona.org/principles.html. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to direct them to Ian Cordes at icordes@bellsouth.net.

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The Florida Association Directors of Nursing Administration/LTC, otherwise known as FADONA, is a statewide coalition of professional, administrative long-term care (LTC) nurses holding director, assistant director of nursing (ADON/DON) or other administrative nursing roles. FADONA is a state chapter of the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-Term Care and its primary goal is to ensure that the residents entrusted to their members enjoy the highest possible quality of life while receiving the finest quality care available.