Lack of Documentation for COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Offer to Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain documentation that staff were educated about and offered the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as to record the vaccination status of staff members. During the survey, the Infection Control Nurse (RN) stated that there was no documentation available to show that staff had been offered the COVID-19 vaccine or educated on its benefits and potential side effects. The RN indicated that vaccines might be offered through an outside company and that she had not personally offered them to staff. No logbook or documentation was provided to the surveyor to confirm that staff had been offered the vaccine or educated about it. Additionally, the infection control binders lacked any records indicating staff education, acceptance, or receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, and there was no documentation of staff vaccination status. Although the Administrator stated that the Director of Nursing enters employee COVID-19 data into a tracker, no such tracker was provided to the surveyor. The facility's policy indicated a commitment to promoting and providing COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with CMS, CDC, and state guidance, but the required documentation to demonstrate compliance was not available.