Expired CPR Certification Among Licensed Nursing Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that staff responsible for providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maintained current CPR certification, as required by facility policy and state regulations. Specifically, one of five licensed nursing staff reviewed, a Medication Assistant Certified (MA-C), was found to have an expired CPR certification that lapsed four months prior to the review. The facility's policy requires personnel to have completed training in CPR or basic life support (BLS), including defibrillation, and directs licensed staff to initiate CPR/BLS for unresponsive individuals unless there are orders prohibiting CPR. Record review and staff interviews revealed that the staff development personnel were unaware of the expired certification, believing that Nursing Assistants did not require CPR certification and that the Director of Nursing Services (DNS) was responsible for tracking certifications. The DNS acknowledged awareness of the expired certification and indicated plans to update staff certifications. This lapse resulted in the potential for a lack of properly trained staff to respond to emergencies requiring CPR.