Nurses voice concern about new federal mandate for long-term care facilities
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A new federal mandate has long-term care facilities worrying about their organizations’ futures. Beginning in 2026, the mandate will require a registered nurse to be on site 24/7 at Medicare and Medicaid-certified long-term care facilities.
Every morning, RN Lisa Zahn starts her day by checking on the residents at Missouri Slope. She checks their vitals, changes wound dressings and takes care of their medical needs. One person she cares for is Jeannette Strab. Strab said Zahn feels like a friend and told us what makes a good nurse stand out above the rest.
“There’s a lot of difference. They don’t care, some of them,” Strab said.
Zahn started her career as a CNA at Missouri Slope about 15 years ago. Then she became an LPN and later an RN.
“I fell in love with it on my first day. I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this, it’s so rewarding,’ and I just kept going and got my RN,” Zahn said.
However, she worries the new federal mandate requiring an RN to be on site 24/7 could have negative repercussions despite the good intentions behind it. She said one of the biggest reasons the mandate is going into effect is because federal authorities want to make sure someone trained to handle emergency situations is available at all times. Those authorities decided that person is an RN, but Zahn thinks RNs aren’t the only ones with that training.
“I definitely don’t agree with it just because our LPNs are so experienced and wonderful. I’ve seen them run codes on residents, and they are great in those emergency situations. They know what to look for when we do have an emergency,” Zahn said.
She said it undervalues the work LPNs do, and the work she does as an RN is similar to what she did when she was in that position.
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