Failure to Provide Privacy During Resident Assessments
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to maintain privacy for two residents during medical assessments. The nurse practitioner was observed assessing one resident's chest, back, and abdomen with a stethoscope in the dining room while other residents were present. Similarly, another resident was assessed in the same public setting, with the nurse practitioner palpating the resident's neck and listening to their chest and back in the dining room. These assessments were conducted in the presence of other residents, rather than in a private setting as required by facility policy. Interviews with an LPN confirmed that resident assessments are typically performed in private settings and that conducting such assessments in the dining room would only be appropriate in an emergency. The nurse practitioner acknowledged that while assessments are usually done in residents' rooms, they are sometimes performed in public areas for timing reasons. Facility leadership was made aware of these incidents, and the facility's policy was reviewed, which mandates the protection of resident privacy during treatment procedures.