On June 21, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule (CMS 1768-P) to update payment rates and policies under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2023. This rule also proposes updates to the acute kidney injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities for calendar year 2023; changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP); and refinements to the ESRD Treatment Choices (ETC) Model.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has apologized for past actions that contributed to systemic racism in a formal Racial Reckoning Statement. In June 2022, the ANA Membership Assembly, the governing and official voting body of ANA, voted to adopt a Racial Reckoning Statement. On July 12, 2022, ANA released the formal statement, which is the association’s first step in acknowledging past actions that have negatively impacted nurses of color and perpetuated systemic racism. The Journey of Racial Reconciliation is the name for ANA’s racial reckoning journey.

ANNA is partnering with the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other organizations to disseminate resources on infection prevention and control (IPC) to nurses and other front-line health professionals through an initiative entitled Project Firstline. This initiative features an interactive series of free online tools and courses that provide nurses with training and information about IPC.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Clinician Well-Being Collaborative unveiled a national plan to support health workforce well-being on June 24. The plan will enable leaders in health care and public health, government, payers, health information technology, education, professional societies, and healthcare workers to cultivate a health system to better support care providers and patient care.

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The Medical Education Institute has developed two new resources for nurses to support patients receiving home dialysis.

How to Talk to Patients About Home Dialysis: Four Steps for Professionals

This online guide provides tips for discussing home dialysis treatment options with patients.

Go to Guide

An article in the March/April 2022 issue of Nephrology Nursing Journal explores the challenges currently facing nephrology nurses and the larger nephrology community as the landscape for kidney replacement therapies changes. The End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) Model, an aspect of the Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative that incentivizes increases in home dialysis therapies, is being implemented amid a strained nursing workforce.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a Toolkit for Preventing CLABSI and CAUTI in ICUs that offers customizable tools and training resources to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in intensive care units (ICUs). The toolkit is designed to help facilities assess current clinical and safety practices, implement a reduction plan, and overcome challenges in infection reduction efforts.

May is Nurses Month. With the theme of "Nurses Make a Difference," each week during Nurses Month has a specific focus:

• Self-Care (May 1-7)
• Recognition (May 8-14)
• Professional Development (May 15-21)
• Community Engagement (May 22-31)

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Nurses Month Events

YOU Make a Difference — LIVE Nurses Event

National Donate Life Month (NDLM) helps raise awareness about organ and tissue donation and celebrate individuals who have saved lives through the gift of donation. Additional observances throughout the month include:

Nephrology Nursing Perspectives, a podcast series developed by ANNA, features interviews and discussions among ANNA members and the nephrology community. The podcast focuses on issues in nephrology, health policy, and nephrology nursing as a specialty nursing profession. In the most recent episode, ANNA Past President Lillian Pryor, MSN, RN, CNN, talks with Deidra C.