Failure to Provide Required RN Coverage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a registered nurse (RN) was present and working for at least 8 consecutive hours every day, as required. Review of staffing sheets for selected weekends in January, February, March, and July revealed multiple instances where no RN was on duty for both day and night shifts. Specifically, there was a continuous 60-hour period in January and a 48-hour period in July with no RN coverage. Additionally, in August, there was a 36-hour period without an RN present in the facility. These findings were confirmed through documentation review and interviews with the Director of Nursing (DON), the Nursing Home Administrator, and the Human Resources Director. The DON acknowledged working on the floor occasionally to cover shifts, but the records indicated that RN coverage was still lacking during the identified periods. The absence of an RN on duty for the required hours was verified by both staffing sheets and direct confirmation from facility leadership. The deficiency was found to have the potential to affect all residents in the facility, as there was no RN coverage during several extended periods.