CMD CMD Workforce Development & Staff Training 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under federal regulations, a Medical Director in a skilled nursing facility is primarily responsible for staff physicians in which capacity?
- Conducting annual performance appraisals for all nurses
- Coordinating medical care and overseeing the medical care policies (Correct answer)
- Approving all staff hires and terminations
- Managing payroll and benefits for clinical staff
Correct answer: Coordinating medical care and overseeing the medical care policies
Federal regulations require the Medical Director to coordinate medical care and oversee compliance with medical care policies.
Question 2: Which competency framework is MOST commonly used to guide Medical Director professional development in the United States?
- ACGME Milestones
- AMDA CMD Competency Framework (Correct answer)
- JCAHO Leadership Standards
- NCQA HEDIS Measures
Correct answer: AMDA CMD Competency Framework
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine developed the CMD competency framework for Medical Director professional development.
Question 3: When a nursing facility experiences high staff turnover, the Medical Director's MOST effective contribution is to:
- Personally perform all clinical assessments to cover gaps
- Collaborate with administration on root-cause analysis and retention strategies (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of medical orders to lower staff workload
- Delegate all oversight to the Director of Nursing
Correct answer: Collaborate with administration on root-cause analysis and retention strategies
Collaborating on root-cause analysis addresses systemic turnover drivers and supports sustainable workforce retention.
Question 4: The Medical Director's role in staff competency validation MOST often involves:
- Administering written licensing exams to nursing staff
- Participating in policy development and reviewing clinical protocols staff must follow (Correct answer)
- Conducting bedside skills checks for all nursing aides annually
- Approving continuing education budgets for staff
Correct answer: Participating in policy development and reviewing clinical protocols staff must follow
Medical Directors contribute to workforce competency by developing and reviewing the clinical policies and protocols that define staff performance expectations.
Question 5: A newly hired charge nurse is observed using a restraint technique not consistent with facility policy. The Medical Director should FIRST:
- Immediately terminate the nurse's employment
- Notify the Director of Nursing so corrective training can be initiated (Correct answer)
- Personally retrain the nurse at the bedside without documenting the incident
- File a complaint with the State Board of Nursing
Correct answer: Notify the Director of Nursing so corrective training can be initiated
Notifying the Director of Nursing ensures the competency gap is addressed through proper supervisory and educational channels.
Question 6: Which type of in-service education has been shown MOST effective at changing clinical staff behavior in long-term care settings?
- Annual mandatory lecture-style presentations
- One-time online modules without follow-up
- Repeated, case-based learning with direct observation and feedback (Correct answer)
- Distributing written policy updates via email only
Correct answer: Repeated, case-based learning with direct observation and feedback
Repeated case-based learning with observation and feedback is more effective than passive instruction at producing durable behavior change.
CMD CMD Workforce Development & Staff Training 1
Under federal regulations, a Medical Director in a skilled nursing facility is primarily responsible for staff physicians in which capacity?