Failure to Prevent Verbal Abuse by CNA Toward Two Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to prevent verbal abuse involving two residents, one with intact cognition and a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and another with severe cognitive impairment and dementia. On the date of the incident, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was witnessed by another CNA and documented by a Registered Nurse (RN) to have engaged in a loud verbal altercation with the residents, using profane and derogatory language. The CNA directed explicit insults and threats toward both residents, including referencing one resident's terminal illness in a disparaging manner and using racial and gender-based slurs. The incident was reported by the affected resident to an LPN, and corroborated by staff witness statements and written documentation. The resident with intact cognition provided a detailed written account of the incident, while the resident with dementia was unable to recall the event during interview. Staff interviews and written statements confirmed the occurrence of the verbal abuse, with the RN noting the CNA's continued aggression until being removed from the unit. The facility's policy prohibits all forms of abuse, including verbal abuse defined as the use of disparaging or derogatory language toward residents. The actions of the CNA were acknowledged by facility leadership as inappropriate and not in accordance with established standards or policy.