Failure to Complete Timely OBRA Registry Verification for Nurse Aides
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) registry verifications were completed for five nurse aides prior to their employment and provision of direct, unsupervised care to residents. Personnel files for these nurse aides showed either delayed verification or no documentation of OBRA registry checks, with one staff member's registry verified over five months after starting work and others lacking any verification at the time of review. The facility's policy required screening potential employees for a history of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment by checking licensing boards and registries, but this process was not followed as required. Interviews with Human Resources and the Administrator confirmed that OBRA registry verifications were not completed timely for the affected nurse aides, and that the issue was only identified during an internal audit. The lack of timely registry verification meant that the facility did not confirm whether these nurse aides met competency evaluation requirements or had any disqualifying findings before they began working with residents.