Failure to Maintain Consistent RN Coverage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide consistent Registered Nurse (RN) coverage for eight consecutive hours a day, seven days a week, as required. A review of the facility's Payroll Based Journaling (PBJ) Staffing Data Report revealed that there was no RN coverage on twelve occasions, and for eight of those days, there were no accounted RN hours according to the facility's working schedules and daily posted staffing. The facility was unable to provide documentation for the missing RN coverage on these days when requested. Administrative staff stated that they sometimes covered shifts, but the hours may not have been accurately reflected in the PBJ documentation, and the administrator was unable to retrieve timecard data for the missing days due to a system changeover. The facility's own policy required an RN to be on duty at least eight consecutive hours every 24 hours, seven days a week.