Failure to Maintain Audible Phone Ringing at Nursing Stations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain the nursing station phone ringers at an audible volume across all four nursing stations, as observed during multiple call attempts. When calls were transferred from the main facility phone line to each nursing station, the phones did not ring audibly at the stations, and staff only became aware of incoming calls after hearing overhead pages instructing them to answer the phone. Interviews with LVNs at each station confirmed that the phone volumes were turned down all the way, preventing them from hearing the phones ring. Staff acknowledged the importance of having the phone volume set at an audible level to ensure calls from doctors, family members, and patients could be answered promptly. A review of the facility's policy and procedures regarding telephone usage indicated that employees should exercise thoughtfulness and courtesy in using telephones and that staff should not be paged to the phone unless it is an emergency. Despite this policy, the phones at all nursing stations were not set to ring audibly, resulting in reliance on overhead paging to alert staff to incoming calls. This practice had the potential to limit or delay communication with medical professionals, family members, and staff.