Failure to Provide and Document Hemodialysis Services as Ordered
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with end-stage renal disease, dependent on hemodialysis, did not receive her prescribed dialysis treatment for a period of four days. The resident, who was severely cognitively impaired and fully dependent on staff for activities of daily living, was admitted with multiple complex medical conditions, including a central line for dialysis access. On the scheduled dialysis day, the resident was unable to receive treatment due to an elevated heart rate, and although the nephrologist and facility nurse attempted interventions, the dialysis session was not completed. Following the missed dialysis session, there was a breakdown in communication and documentation among facility staff. The charge nurse did not clearly document the missed dialysis or the resident's change in condition in the 24-hour report or other required communication tools. The nurse also failed to ensure that the physician or nurse practitioner was adequately notified regarding the missed dialysis and did not follow up on orders for medication administration or alternative interventions. Other staff members, including the DON and ADON, were unaware of the missed treatment until after the fact, and there was no evidence that the resident's care plan or medical record was updated to reflect the missed dialysis or any follow-up actions. The facility's policies required prompt notification of a physician in the event of a change in status or missed treatment, as well as thorough documentation of all communication and interventions. These procedures were not followed, resulting in the resident missing dialysis for four consecutive days. The failure to provide dialysis as ordered and to communicate and document the missed treatment placed the resident at risk for delayed treatment and actual harm, as identified by surveyors.
Removal Plan
- Review all facility residents receiving dialysis to identify any other residents receiving dialysis treatments.
- Assess all facility residents ordered to receive hemodialysis treatments to ensure no other residents missed hemodialysis treatments.
- Regional Compliance Nurse provides in-service to DON, ADON, and Administrator regarding Change of Condition (when to Report to MD/NP/PA and follow-up communication), Abuse/Neglect, and Dialysis (facility's dialysis policy in-serviced for enforcement).
- DON/ADON will in-service facility staff by phone and/or in person regarding facility policy on Abuse/Neglect. Facility staff, including PRN staff, not in serviced will not be allowed to provide resident care until training has been completed.
- DON/ADON will in-service nurses (LVN/RNs) by phone and/or in person regarding Change of Condition to include when to Report to MD/NP/PA. All nurses (LVN/RNs), including PRN nurses, not in serviced will not be allowed to provide resident care until training has been completed.
- DON/ADON will in-service nurses (LVN/RN) by phone and/or in person regarding facility's dialysis policy. All nurses (LVN/RNs), including PRN nurses, not in serviced will not be allowed to provide resident care until training has been completed.
- Nurses (LVN/RNs) will utilize the skilled nurse's notes, SBAR, and/or other routine follow-up documentation to document the change in condition related to missed hemodialysis treatments and other changes in condition in the facility's electronic medical record (EMR).
- Notify the Medical Director regarding the immediate jeopardy citation.
- Hold an Ad-hoc QAPI meeting by the interdisciplinary team to discuss the immediate jeopardies and review the plan of removal.
- DON/Designee will monitor changes of condition to ensure changes of condition have been reported to the MD and followed up.
- DON/Designee will monitor Dialysis residents to ensure that residents did not miss any dialysis or had any incomplete dialysis session, if dialysis sessions were missed or incomplete that an SBAR was completed, and was the resident monitored.