Promissor - Nurse Aide Testing and
Registry Services Update
PDF Version of BQA 04-014 (PDF,
31 KB)
Date: May 7, 2004 -- DDES-BQA 04-014
Cross Reference: BQA Memo 03-011
Attachment: Important Changes Coming
Soon (PDF, 25 KB)
FROM: Susan Larsen, Director, Office of Caregiver
Quality, Bureau of Quality Assurance
VIA: Susan Schroeder, Director, Bureau of Quality Assurance
Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to provide updated information regarding the
current status of the Department of Health and Family Services contract with
Promissor Inc.
Background:
The Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Disability
Services, Bureau of Quality Assurance (BQA) has finalized negotiations with
Promissor, Inc., to amend the current contract to improve Wisconsin’s
nurse aide testing program and Registry.
Improvements:
|
PROMISSOR'S NEW REQUIREMENTS |
PROBLEM ADDRESSED |
| 1. Mail a test admission letter to a nurse aide
candidate within 5 calendar days of receiving an application |
Application Processing. Addresses an earlier problem with
delays during application processing when the subcontractor had a
significant backlog of unprocessed test applications.
|
| 2. Schedule the test at regional test sites within 15
calendar days of the date the application is received, unless the
candidate requests a later date. |
Testing Timeline for Regional Test Sites. Addresses delays
between application receipt and test date. Insufficient test sites
generally caused these delays, and this requirement will also force a
sufficient number of test sites.
|
| 3. Schedule a test within 7 calendar days of receipt of
completed application by an in-facility test site unless the facility’s
primary instructor requests a later date. |
Testing Timeline for In-Facility Sites. Requires the
subcontractor to employ a sufficient number of nurse examiners to be
available timely for in-facility tests.
|
| 4. Notify the nurse aide candidate of the results of
the exam and add the successful candidate’s name to the registry
within 10 calendar days of the test. |
Clarify Test Score Notification Requirement. Promissor
piloted same-day test results to Wisconsin candidates via the
automated fax-back scoring system. Some candidates had to wait several
days for their test scores when the automated fax-scoring process
malfunctioned. It will be necessary for Promissor to hand score test
results when the fax-back scoring process does not function correctly.
The 10-day requirement is the original contractual requirement.
|
| 5. Provide no fewer than one regional test site in each
technical college district within 90 calendar days of the effective
date of this amendment. If any technical college declines to become a
test site, Promissor must provide an alternate site within 50 miles of
that technical college district’s main campus. |
Number of Test Sites. Requires a specific minimum number of
test sites with respect to reasonable access for candidates. Promissor
may need to add sites based on testing timelines specified above. |
| 6. The timing for the skills demonstration component of
the exam will be increased from 25 minutes to one-half hour. |
Testing Process Complaint. After WTCS piloted an untimed
skills demonstration, the recommendation was to extend the skills
demonstration to 30 minutes. This change from 25 to 30 minutes lessens
the possibility of candidates failing the exam solely based on time
limits.
|
| 7. Termination of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
telephone system. |
Promissor negotiated the termination of the current Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) automated telephone services effective May 31,
2004. The message announces the IVR services will no longer be in
effect on June 1, 2004.
Cost-savings will be used to improve and enhance the automated
Registry database system and the web-based Nurse Aide Registry and
other Internet services. Additional Registry customer support services
will be provided for nurse aides who do not have access to the
Internet. Effective first quarter 2004, 96 percent of all Registry
verification requests are made via the web-based Registry.
|
Promissor Annual Report
Attached, please find Promissor's Nurse
Aide Testing and Registry Services 2003 Annual Report (PDF,
24 KB). This report provides statistics regarding Promissor services
delivered during 2003, including:
- Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry Data
- Wisconsin Nurse Aide Testing Data
- BQA's Quality Assurance Oversight
This report shows great improvement in Promissor's performance during
this past year. Promissor has worked diligently with the Department and the
Wisconsin Technical College System campuses to increase their testing
capacity and reduce delays in test scheduling. The Bureau of Quality
Assurance has also established and fine-tuned the internal quality assurance
review, monitoring and response to complaints regarding Promissor's service
delivery.
NNAAPä Skills Examination Update
BQA and WTCS representatives have reviewed the current NNAAPä
Skills Examination and provided feedback to Promissor. Selected WTCS
campuses participated in a pilot to determine appropriate changes to the
Skills Examination. While WTCS piloted various Skills Exam changes, the
Department considered a variety of possible contract impacts, including:
- Increasing the Promissor Skills Examination scoring costs due to
modifications to the system;
- Being unable to compare Wisconsin testing statistics to 23 other
states where Promissor provides testing services;
- High potential to increase the current nurse aide testing fee of $100.
Thus, in addition to increasing the timed Skills Examination to one-half
hour, the only other change the Department has requested is to increase the
handwashing skill to a minimum requirement of 15 seconds. Promissor has
agreed to apply this change to all 24 states administering the NNAAPä
Examination. Increasing the handwashing skill to 15 seconds meets the most
recent Center of Disease Control hand hygiene recommendations.
The Department and Promissor will be revising the Wisconsin Nurse Aide
Candidate Handbook to reflect additional updated policy and test
administration changes. It is anticipated these changes will be implemented
by Fall 2004, after the revised Handbook has been published and distributed
to all training programs In the meantime, the current testing policies
remain in effect until the Department formally announces the statewide
testing implementation.
In June 2004, Promissor and the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing will host the annual National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAPä
) review meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure the nurse aide
minimum skills instructions meet the current practices in today's health
care facilities. States who administer the NNAAPä
Examination have an opportunity to participate and provide feedback
regarding the current NNAAPä Examination
(Written Exam or Skills Exam). The current NNAAPä
Skills Examination will be reviewed at this meeting.
Cindy Geist, BQA's Nurse Aide Training Program Consultant, along with
another training program representative, will be attending this NNAAPä
review meeting. Nurse aide training programs should relay any concerns
regarding the current NNAAPä skills in writing
to Cindy Geist by May 31, 2004. She will relay those concerns at the
June 2004 NNAAP Review meeting.
Contacts
Contact the following individuals for information regarding Wisconsin’s
nurse aide training, testing and Registry requirements:
|
Wisconsin nurse aide training program questions:
|
Cindy Geist, Nurse Consultant
Office of Caregiver Quality
2917 International Lane, Suite 300
Madison, WI 53704
608-243-2083 |
|
Wisconsin nurse aide test application or scheduling questions: |
Toll-free phone: [REPLACED 12/04 by American Red Cross,
1-866-257-5424]
[formerly Wisconsin Nurse Aide Testing Services
400 East Main Street
Columbus, OH 43213-2983] |
|
Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry status questions: |
Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry
Managed by Promissor
PO Box 13785
Philadelphia, PA 19101-3785
Toll-free phone: 1-877-329-8760 |
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