Failure to Provide Required RN Coverage
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide the services of a Registered Nurse (RN) for at least eight consecutive hours per day, seven days a week, as required. Record review showed that the facility did not have a policy regarding RN services, and the Facility Assessment indicated the need for at least one RN for eight hours daily. Staffing assignment records for September and October revealed multiple days where there was no documentation of RN coverage for the required period. Specifically, there was no RN coverage for eight consecutive hours on several dates in both months. Interviews with the Director of Nursing (DON), administrator, and Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) confirmed awareness of the requirement but also revealed a lack of awareness regarding the specific days when coverage was not met. The administrator cited recent RN staff losses and difficulty in providing daily RN coverage, especially on weekends, and stated that efforts to hire more RNs were ongoing. The ADON, who had recently taken over scheduling, was also unaware of the missed coverage on the identified dates.