Failure to Secure Resident with Safety Seat Belt During Van Transport
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, who had an acquired absence of the left leg below the knee, was being transported by van to a physician's appointment. During the trip, the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) responsible for the transport failed to secure the resident with the vehicle-supplied safety seat belt, although the wheelchair itself was secured to the van. The CNA later admitted that the seat belt was not buckled around the resident. As a result, the resident slid out of the wheelchair and fell onto the floor of the van. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were contacted, and the resident was transported to the emergency room, where it was determined that no injuries had occurred and no treatment was required. Further review revealed that the facility did not have a policy on accident prevention or van transport. Staff interviews confirmed that the expectation was for the safety seat belt to be used during transport, and both the Administrator and Director of Nursing acknowledged that the failure to apply the seat belt could result in injuries. The lack of a specific policy and the omission of the safety measure directly contributed to the incident.