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Self-assessment Tool

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Self-assessment Tool

Complete the self-assessment by answering the questions on this web page or by downloading and completing the Self-assessment Workbook, which includes additional prompts for you to consider.

The more you answer “yes” to the questions, the closer you are to being ready to apply for Stellar certification.

If you are completing the self-assessment on this web page, note that your answers are not recorded, saved, tallied, or submitted to the Stellar Certification Program. This web page is strictly for your records, so we suggest you print a copy after you have completed it.

Standard 1: Nursing Voice

Shared decision-making

Do direct care nurses have a leading role in decisions affecting clinical workflows and nursing practice as they relate to the delivery of care to individuals living in the LTC home?

Yes No

Are all direct care nurses, particularly those that work nights and weekends, involved in decision-making?

Yes No

Are nurses supported to express their views? Do LTC administrators and managers understand (and have strategies to overcome) the potential roadblocks that nurses can face when voicing their opinions?

Yes No

Are the views of Indigenous nurses, as well as Indigenous people living in the LTC home and their families, engaged as part of the decision-making process?

Yes No

Does the following organizational document provide evidence of support for shared decision-making? A list of all the LTC home council/committee meetings that occurred over the past year. This document may include (but is not limited to) meetings related to the following topics: nursing practice, nursing quality, patient safety, workplace safety, representation of individuals living in the home and their families, etc.

Yes No

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Does the LTC home address diversity, equity and inclusion by amplifying the voice of racialized people in the workplace, and by providing the nursing team with opportunities to gain cultural knowledge and modify their behaviours?

Yes No

Does the LTC home promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion?

Yes No

Do all employees receive orientation and training to instil principles of collaboration, equity and mutual respect?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Organizational policies and procedures related to diversity, equity and inclusion: This document should show how the LTC home addresses workplace diversity, equity and inclusion and should take the needs of employees and individuals living at the facility into account.

Yes No

Standard 2: Leadership Excellence

Nursing leadership

Is the LTC home’s nursing leadership visible and active in the care environment?

Yes No

Have administrators and nurse managers received exceptional education and training — or do they have access to it?

Yes No

Do leaders seek out input from direct care nurses, understanding that they are excellent sources for new initiatives focused on the promotion of staff well-being (safety, physical health and mental health)?

Yes No

Well-being of nurses

Does the LTC home have a solid understanding of what matters most to direct care nurses? Does it strive to ensure nurses’ well-being?

Yes No

Is the health of nurses regularly assessed, and are health initiatives based on the results of those assessments implemented?

Yes No

Is the LTC home creating work schedules that support nurses’ well-being? This could include flexible hours that promote a balance between work and personal life.

Yes No

Is there a process in place for the LTC home to assess the health of the nursing team and nurses in leadership positions?

Yes No

Is the well-being of nurses integrated into strategic planning?

Yes No

Do direct care nurses use a shared decision-making approach to plan and evaluate well-being initiatives?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Organizational policies and procedures related to the safety and physical and psychological well-being of the nursing workforce: This document should address the mitigation and management of alleged psychological harassment of the workforce and should describe the complaint process for the employee workforce, with a clear indication of the reporting structure, should an issue arise concerning a direct manager or the senior administration.

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Policies and/or procedures related to nurses’ well-being: This document should include the resources available (either on site or external) to the nursing team to promote their mental health and well-being.

Yes No

Standard 3: Education and Career Progression

Professional growth

Does your organization value and recognize the importance of supporting nurses’ ongoing education, gerontological certification, and opportunities for professional growth?

Yes No

Is the pursuit of higher education and opportunities encouraged and supported?

Yes No

Are nurses’ professional needs carefully assessed?

Yes No

Is a high percentage of the facility’s nursing staff CNA certified in gerontology? For an LTC home’s initial Stellar certification, a plan for increasing nurses’ gerontological certification must be in place (at a minimum) if 50% of the nursing staff is not already certified in gerontology.

Yes No

Does the facility support its nursing workforce (RNs, LPNs/RPNs, NPs) to voluntarily achieve CNA certification in gerontological nursing?

Yes No

Nursing orientation and mentorship

Does the LTC home have a strong nursing orientation and mentorship program that supports all levels of nurses and helps prevent burnout, increase job satisfaction and improve person-centred care?

Yes No

Are mentors who orient new staff supported with resources and education, and are they evaluated constructively by managers?

Yes No

Are direct care nurses encouraged and supported to take a leadership role in orienting new nurses?

Yes No

Is the following organizational document available? A document or policy indicating staff appraisals: This document should show that individual members of the nursing team participated in a self-assessment and were able to identify their own need for opportunities for growth in education and certification. It should also provide a copy of policies and/or any documents related to performance appraisals/assessments of the nursing workforce. This may include (but is not limited to) annual assessment, individual learning plans, peer assessments, SMART goals, LEADS 360 assessment, etc.

Yes No

Standard 4: Resourcing

Safe and effective resourcing

Is the LTC home committed to providing the best in evidence-based policy, practice, products and professional development to ensure a safe ratio of nurses to individuals living in the facility?

Yes No

Do LTC administrators recognize the complexity of achieving the right mix of skills and staff?

Yes No

Is there a robust contingency plan in place to guide the nurse manager when staff shortages occur?

Yes No

Are there easily accessible guidelines for the charge nurse to follow when no one is available to replace staff?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Policies, procedures and contingency plans related to staff shortages. These are key documents and should address the following items:

What are the guidelines the charge nurse must follow when no one is available to replace staff? What do the guidelines specify under different scenarios, such as when the LTC home has no RN available? What are the guidelines when one or more other staff members are not available?
Provide your plan /process to mitigate problems related to staff shortages and ensure the care needs of individuals living in the LTC home are met.
What are the guidelines for nurses when documenting practice circumstances they deem to be unsafe due to lack of staff?
What are the relevant reporting and documentation practices to fulfil the requirements of regulatory bodies and the LTC home’s policies?
If applicable, provide the processes and/or mechanisms being used to reduce dependence on private nursing agencies.

Yes No

Standard 5: Practice Environment

Positive practice environment

Is the nursing perspective meaningfully recognized and valued as contributing to the foundation of a positive practice environment and a safe and enjoyable work culture?

Yes No

Is an exceptional employee recognition program in place?

Yes No

Does the team celebrate important milestones and personal achievements?

Yes No

Are training and supports provided to enhance practice environments?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Policies, procedures and other documents related to employee recognition: These documents should outline details of a program and/or process that ensures staff members are recognized and celebrated in the workplace. It should include a description of the robust reporting capabilities that are in place.

Yes No

Safe practice environment

Is the physical safety and mental well-being of nurses and individuals living in the LTC home ensured through a culture of responsibility that is free of incivility, bullying and violence?

Yes No

Are all reasonable efforts to protect the physical safety and mental health of nurses and those living in the LTC home (and their families) taken?

Yes No

Are policy and processes in place to address adverse situations in a timely manner? Are all team members familiar with the process?

Yes No

Is incident reporting viewed as a positive and constructive learning process, and is this viewpoint exemplified by the leadership team?

Yes No

Are staff members, individuals living in the LTC home and their families, aware of the process to report an incident and feel safe doing so (i.e., the LTC home creates a culture where nurses feel safe to self-report a medical error)?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Policies, procedures, schedule or planning documents related to debriefing processes: This document should include any debriefing education and/or coaching provided to the leadership of the LTC home.

Yes No

Standard 6: Optimizing Care

Supporting nurses to optimize care delivery using a holistic approach

Does the LTC home support nurses to optimize care delivery using an evidence-based, person-centred holistic approach?

Yes No

Does the LTC home’s staff have training, education and other supports available to them to implement programs for optimizing care?

Yes No

Does the LTC home’s leadership support nurses in their efforts to promote healthy aging for the individuals living in the home?

Yes No

Does the LTC home’s staff make regular use of established best practices and resources?

Yes No

Are new and innovative ideas allowed to be brought forward by non-medical staff, individuals living in the LTC home, and their families?

Yes No

Is there a process in place to review innovative suggestions and determine their appropriateness for incorporation into practice — potentially allowing the home to develop and/or participate in research opportunities?

Yes No

Are the following organizational documents available? Policies, structures or other documents that outline how nursing care plans are developed. This document should indicate how nurses, individuals living in the LTC home, and their families, all contributed to the plan to ensure it aligns with the individual’s care needs. In addition to providing the frequency and structure of family meetings, this document should outline how people living in the LTC home are active participants in their care plans.

Yes No

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