Failure to Ensure Agency Nursing Staff Competency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that agency nursing staff, including two licensed nurses and one nurse aide, demonstrated the necessary competencies and skill sets to meet residents' needs. Multiple residents reported that agency staff did not provide adequate care, with specific complaints that agency staff did not assist them, did not give showers at night, and were not attentive to their needs. A family member also stated that agency staff were unfamiliar with residents' care requirements and did not appropriately reapproach residents who declined care. Review of facility staffing schedules confirmed that the agency staff in question worked on the specified date. Observations showed that both agency nurses administered medications on their first day at the facility without having received any training or skills competency evaluations from the facility. Personnel file reviews for all three agency staff revealed no documentation of training or competency assessments. The Director of Nursing confirmed that no skills competency evaluations had been conducted for these agency staff members.