Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Alleged Verbal Abuse by RN
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct a thorough investigation into an alleged incident of staff-to-resident verbal abuse involving a registered nurse and a resident with dementia and aphasia, who was severely cognitively impaired and non-interviewable. The incident was reported after staff observed the nurse yelling at the resident and noted that the nurse had been impatient, anxious, and in a hurry. The nurse admitted to not being as nice as she should have been and cited fatigue as a contributing factor. The facility's policy requires all alleged violations to be thoroughly investigated, with evidence of such investigations. Although the facility immediately suspended the nurse and interviewed the staff witness and three additional staff members, as well as three residents, there was no evidence that other residents or staff who may have had contact with the nurse were interviewed to determine if further abuse had occurred. Statements from interviewed staff described the nurse as impatient and not always nice, suggesting a need for broader investigation. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that only the documented interviews were conducted, and the Director of Nursing acknowledged that the nurse could have contact with all residents during a shift.