Failure to Provide Required RN Coverage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a Registered Nurse (RN) on duty for eight consecutive hours a day, seven days a week, as required by regulation and the facility's own policy. Review of posted staffing sheets over a 32-day period revealed that there was no RN coverage on 15 separate days. The facility census during this period was 70 residents. The facility's staffing plan called for eight RN hours per resident day on the day shift, but this was not met on multiple occasions. Interviews with the staffing coordinator, Director of Nursing (DON), and administrator confirmed awareness of the RN coverage issue. The staffing coordinator, responsible for scheduling, reported the lack of RN coverage to the administrator after the previous DON resigned and a new one was hired. The DON acknowledged the ongoing issue and attributed it to a shortage of available RNs. The administrator confirmed that the facility was not meeting the regulatory requirement for RN coverage and was unaware of the extent of the missed days until informed.