Inaccurate Posting of Nurse Staffing Hours Due to Staff Coverage in Assisted Living
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to accurately post daily nurse staffing information reflecting the total number and actual hours worked per shift by nursing staff directly responsible for resident care. Documentation showed that nursing assistants assigned to the nursing home were also providing care in the connected assisted living facility during their scheduled shifts. However, the posted nurse staffing forms did not account for the time these staff members spent away from the nursing home, resulting in inaccurate reporting of hours worked in the facility. For example, one nursing assistant was scheduled from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., but records indicated that one hour of this shift was spent providing care in the assisted living facility, not the nursing home. Despite this, the posted staffing information listed the full shift as being worked in the nursing home and did not adjust the total hours accordingly. Interviews with staff, including the administrator, staffing coordinator, and DON, confirmed that it was common practice for nursing home staff to assist in the assisted living facility during overnight shifts, and that the posted staffing hours did not reflect the actual time spent in each location. The staffing coordinator acknowledged that adjustments to posted hours were not made in real time and were often updated the following day, if at all. The facility's policy on staffing was requested but not provided for review. This failure to accurately post nurse staffing information had the potential to affect all residents and visitors who relied on this information.