Failure to Provide Required RN Coverage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide the services of a registered nurse (RN) for at least eight consecutive hours per day, seven days per week, as required by their own policy and federal regulations. Review of nurse schedules over a nearly three-week period revealed multiple days with no RN coverage on any shift. Staff interviews showed inconsistent awareness of RN coverage, with some staff believing an RN was present daily, while others, including an LPN and the DON, confirmed that there were days without any RN on duty. The DON was identified as the only RN on staff, and both the DON and Administrator acknowledged that there were several days without RN coverage, particularly during a change in DON. The facility census at the time was 39 residents, and the DON was also the only RN available, with no clear plan for coverage when the DON was unavailable. Staff were sometimes not informed when there was no RN on duty. The lack of RN coverage was confirmed for specific dates, and the issue was attributed to staffing shortages and transitions in the DON position. The report does not mention any specific residents affected or detail any immediate clinical consequences resulting from the lack of RN coverage.