Misappropriation of Resident Funds and Controlled Substances by Staff Member
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a staff member, specifically the former DON/RN, engaged in misappropriation of resident property and funds. One resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including COPD and CHF, reported that the DON/RN repeatedly requested and received money from them over several months. The staff member was aware of the resident's financial situation and coerced the resident into providing funds, both in cash and through a mobile payment app. The resident also reported that the staff member's child broke their tablet, and the staff member promised repayment, which did not occur. The resident only felt safe to report the incident after the staff member was suspended for a separate issue. Another deficiency involved the same staff member's handling of controlled substances for a different resident with severe cognitive impairment and diagnoses including dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The staff member dispensed significant quantities of hydrocodone/acetaminophen from the medication dispensing system for this resident, despite the absence of a corresponding physician order in the resident's medical record or medication administration record. There was no documentation of administration or proper destruction of these narcotics, and destruction logs were either missing or contained forged signatures. The staff member claimed to have destroyed the medications but failed to follow required documentation procedures and did not ensure a second nurse was present for destruction, as required by policy. Interviews with other staff confirmed that the staff member's actions were not in line with facility policy or standard practice. The discrepancies in medication dispensing and lack of proper documentation were discovered by other nurses, who reported the findings to administration. The staff member was found to have forged signatures and failed to document communications with the pharmacy or physician regarding the medication orders. The deficiencies were substantiated through review of witness statements, bank records, medication dispensing logs, and interviews.