Verbal Abuse of Resident by CNA
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) verbally abused a resident by using inappropriate language. The resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including diverticulitis, type 2 diabetes, depression, and complications of a colostomy, reported to the Director of Nursing (DON) that the CNA had cursed at her. The incident was documented in the resident's progress notes, and the resident expressed reluctance to discuss the matter further. An internal investigation was conducted, during which the CNA admitted to being frustrated with the resident and confirmed that she used the term 'bulls**t' when speaking to her. The facility's abuse prevention policy explicitly states that residents have the right to be free from abuse and that staff are expected to treat residents with respect. The DON confirmed the CNA's admission and acknowledged the expectation for respectful treatment of residents.