Failure to Complete Required TB Screening for New Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain an effective infection prevention and control program by not ensuring that all new staff were screened for tuberculosis (TB) prior to employment, as required by both facility policy and state regulations. Specifically, four newly hired LPNs did not have documentation of completion of the required two-step TB skin test in their personnel records. The facility's policy and state regulation mandate that all new employees receive a two-step PPD test within one month prior to starting employment, and that documentation of TB status be maintained for all staff. However, review of the records showed that these requirements were not met for the identified staff members. Interviews with facility leadership, including the DON, BOM, and Administrator, confirmed that TB testing was not completed prior to the staff starting work, and that documentation from other facilities where the staff may have worked was not obtained. The DON acknowledged that TB testing should be completed before staff begin working, and the BOM stated that TB testing had not been completed for new as-needed staff. The Administrator also confirmed that TB testing should be done before staff start and can be read on the day they begin work, but this was not followed for the new hires.