Failure to Provide Required Annual In-Service Education and Competency Evaluations for Nurse Aide
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a nurse aide received the required 12 hours of annual in-service education and annual competency evaluations. Documentation review for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 did not show evidence that education and competency assessments were completed for a nurse aide who began employment in December 2022. Interviews with staff revealed that the staff development and infection control nurse, who was responsible for tracking and providing education, did not have a system in place to monitor which staff members needed updated training or competencies. Education was provided as time allowed, and there was reliance on sign-in sheets and competency packets without a comprehensive tracking mechanism. Additional interviews indicated that the assistant director of nursing provided some help with in-services and competencies but was also responsible for multiple other roles, limiting her availability. The director of nursing was not aware of any issues related to in-service education and stated that staff should receive required education and competencies after hire and annually. The facility's own assessment tool specified that annual in-servicing, training, and competencies would be provided, and that the staff development nurse was responsible for maintaining these records, but this was not consistently implemented.