Lack of Behavioral Health Training for Nursing Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that nursing staff possessed the necessary competencies and training to meet the behavioral health needs of residents with psychiatric or mood disorders, as identified in the facility assessment. Record review and staff interviews revealed that staff education on behavioral health was limited to dementia care, with no documented evidence of training for other psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or PTSD. The general orientation materials referenced behavioral health and trauma-informed care, but only in the context of dementia or PTSD, and did not address care for residents with other mental health diagnoses listed in the facility assessment. A resident with multiple psychiatric diagnoses, including moderate cognitive impairment and elevated depression, was identified as not having access to appropriately trained staff. Interviews with nursing staff and the staff education nurse confirmed the absence of behavioral health training and protocols for managing residents with psychiatric or behavioral health issues. Staff reported feeling unprepared and unsafe when dealing with behavioral incidents, and the administrator acknowledged that training had focused solely on dementia care rather than broader behavioral health needs.