DON Assigned as Charge Nurse During High Census
Penalty
No penalty information released
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
The facility failed to ensure compliance with staffing regulations by allowing the Director of Nursing (DON) to serve as a charge nurse when the facility census exceeded 60 residents. Review of staffing schedules showed that the DON was assigned to work as a floor nurse on multiple occasions when the census was over 110, including specific dates when the census ranged from 112 to 116. Interviews with the staffing coordinator and the DON confirmed that the DON regularly filled open nursing shifts, particularly on the night shift, due to ongoing nurse shortages. The administrator also verified the DON's assignment to floor duties on several dates when the census was well above the regulatory threshold.