Failure to Track and Document Employee Illnesses in Infection Control Program
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly track and document employee illnesses, resulting in incomplete records for three staff members, including two nursing assistants and the infection preventionist. The employee illness forms and surveillance logs were missing critical information such as the last day worked, symptom resolution, and return-to-work dates. In some cases, the specific symptoms experienced by staff were not recorded. This lack of documentation occurred despite the facility having a form and process in place for tracking staff illnesses, which was not consistently followed. Interviews revealed that the infection preventionist, who was newly hired and still in training, acknowledged that required documentation had lapsed as COVID-19 protocols changed. The infection preventionist was not yet certified and relied on another RN for assistance, but there was confusion regarding oversight responsibilities. The director of nursing admitted that expectations for oversight were not clearly communicated, and concerns about missing illness logs had been raised previously but not addressed.