DON Critical Facility Information Tool Checklist – Complete Operations Organizing Survey Audit Tool - PDF & Canva

A comprehensive 15-category printable checklist for Directors of Nursing in skilled nursing, long-term care, and assisted living. Track everything from emergency response and resident acuity to budget, HR, QAPI, and contracts. Designed to keep you audit-ready, organized, and in control.

Stay survey-ready and operationally sound — without the mental clutter.
As a DON, you’re expected to know everything: facility basics, resident acuity, crash cart supplies, staffing hours, grievance policies, pharmacist recommendations, and a dozen more critical details. Missing one can mean a citation, a safety event, or a sleepless night.

This DON Critical Facility Information Tool gives you a single, printable, editable checklist to capture and organize all the moving parts of your facility.

What’s inside (15 categories):
1. Facility Information – beds, last survey, union, etc.
2. Emergency Response – police, medical examiner, oxygen, crash cart
3. Resident Acuity – oxygen transfill, tube feeding, nebs, caths + resident lists
4. Resident Safety – fall prevention, elopement, alarms, incident tracking
5. Critical Areas to Monitor – pressure ulcers, infections, turnover, comp
6. Budget – RN/LPN/NA counts, supplies, admin hours, budgeted census
7. Staffing – schedules, shift times, verification, time sheets, payroll
8. Customer Service – lab, x-ray, supplies, resident/family councils, grievances
9. HR – interviewing, hiring, orientation, competencies, evaluations, EEOC
10. Quality Management – policies, QAPI, Abaqis
11. Medical Director – contact, involvement, admissions, deaths, protocols
12. Pharmaceutical Services – drug regimen reviews, MES audits, errors, recs
13. Special Medical Insurance – managed care, VA, Medicare, Medicaid
14. Special Meetings & Accountability – stand-up, care conferences, IDT, committees
15. Current Office Resources + Contracts + Other Facility Specifics

Benefits
· 📋 Survey-ready in minutes – all critical info in one place
· 🧠 Reduces cognitive load – stop memorizing; start referencing
· 🔁 Onboarding & backup – an ADON or interim DON can step in instantly
· 🛠️ Editable + printable – customize for your facility type
· 🚨 Prevents missed tasks – from crash cart checks to pharmacist recs
· 📊 Tracks what matters – acuity, budget, incidents, turnover, infections

Who it’s for
· New DONs in their first 90 days
· Experienced DONs preparing for survey
· Interim DONs stepping into an unfamiliar facility
· Nurse managers or ADONs building a reference binder
· Regional consultants supporting multiple buildings

How to use (simple steps)
1. Print the Canva file (or keep it digital).
2. Fill in each category with your facility’s current data.
3. Update weekly or monthly — use the editable format.
4. Pull it out for stand-up meetings, surveys, or emergency handoff.
5. Pass to an ADON during your time off so nothing falls through the cracks.