Failure to Ensure Timely Nurse Aide Training and Certification
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to ensure that two nurse aides completed the required nurse aide training program within four months of employment, as mandated. Review of personnel files for both nurse aides showed no documentation of program completion, despite both having been employed beyond the allowable period. The facility did not have a policy regarding the completion of nurse aide training within four months, and there was a lapse in the facility's ability to provide training classes due to a temporary loss of their license. During this period, there was no evidence that alternative arrangements were made to enroll nurse aides in external training programs. Interviews with staff revealed confusion and lack of communication regarding responsibility for ensuring nurse aide certification. The Registered Nurse responsible for conducting training was unaware if administration sought alternative classes during the facility's training suspension. The DON and administrator both acknowledged that nurse aides continued to provide direct care after exceeding the 120-day training window without certification. The administrator admitted to not knowing the aides were uncertified and still working, and the DON confirmed that uncertified aides should not have been providing care after the required period.