Failure to Review Employee Health Screens and Inadequate Hand Hygiene Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that employee health screens were reviewed by appropriate staff prior to the start of employment for four out of five sampled employees. Specifically, the Employee Health History Screens for the Business Office Manager, two Nurses Aides, and a Housekeeper were completed and signed by the employees themselves, but there was no evidence that a facility staff member or nurse had reviewed these documents before the employees began working. Interviews with the MDS Coordinator, who serves as the infection preventionist, and the Director of Nursing confirmed that the required review process was not followed for these individuals. Additionally, the facility did not ensure that staff consistently performed hand hygiene according to professional standards. Observations of a Medication Aide and two LPNs revealed that hand washing was performed for less than the required 20 seconds, and in some cases, used paper towels were employed to turn off the water instead of a clean paper towel, contrary to facility policy. Staff interviews confirmed awareness of the correct procedures, but acknowledged that proper hand hygiene was not consistently practiced during the observed instances.