Examining the impact of board-certified registered nurses in skilled nursing facilities using national and state quality and clinical indicators

A convenience sample of skilled nursing facilities was selected from a sample of graduates of an online training program for RNs who subsequently achieved board certification in gerontological nursing (RN-BC). Facilities that employed one or more RN-BC were pair-matched using 11 organizational characteristics with facilities that did not employ a RN-BC. Facility data were collected at two time points, and differences between time points and between facility type (RN-BC versus non-RN-BC) were analyzed. Findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences between RN-BC and non-RN-BC facilities with respect to quality ratings and nurse sensitive clinical indicators (e.g., restraint use, urinary tract infections, falls, antipsychotic medication use) between the two time periods; however, in the second time period, RN-BC facilities showed greater improvement versus non-RN-BC facilities in seven of nine outcomes, achieving significance in Overall (4.10 vs. 3.55, p < 0.01) and Survey (3.48 vs. 2.86, p < 0.01) 5-Star ratings.