Failure to Immediately Remove Staff Following Alleged Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) verbally abused a resident by yelling and cursing at them during the night. The resident, who had a history of stroke but no behavioral symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions, reported the incident to staff. The CNA admitted to responding to the resident with a derogatory comment after the resident made a remark about her appearance. The resident stated that the CNA had previously cursed at him and that the situation was upsetting. Despite the facility's policy requiring immediate suspension and removal of staff accused of abuse during an investigation, the CNA continued to provide direct care to residents following the reported incident. Time card records confirmed that the CNA worked additional shifts after the alleged abuse before her official separation from the facility. This failure to immediately remove the CNA from resident care did not align with the facility's established abuse reporting procedures.