F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
E

Missing Infection Control Training for New and Existing Staff

Merkel Nursing CenterMerkel, Texas Survey Completed on 12-04-2025

Summary

The facility failed to develop, implement, and maintain an effective infection prevention and control training program for all new and existing staff. Record review showed that the DON, DM, LVN E, and NA G each had a hire date documented in their personnel records, but there was no evidence that any of them completed infection control training upon hire or while working at the facility. The report stated that these four staff members were among 16 staff reviewed for infection control training, and they were the only ones identified as lacking evidence of the required training. During interviews, the ADMN stated that new hires were given orientation through a hyperlink and that annual training was done through monthly in-services. He later stated he was responsible for ensuring training was completed for all employees and acknowledged that not receiving required training could lead to poor quality of care. The AIT stated that department heads were responsible for ensuring training was completed, or the office manager if the employee was in administration, and said the ADMN and office manager monitored completion; she also stated the training was not done due to an oversight by the ADMN. The DM stated she did not remember receiving any orientation training on infection control. Facility policy required newly hired personnel, volunteers, and transfers to attend a 10-hour orientation within their first five days, and the staff development policy listed infection control as a mandatory in-service topic for all personnel.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0945 citations
Failure to Provide Required Infection Control Training
D
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

Failure to provide mandatory Infection Control training for one NA was identified. Facility policy required compliance with training standards and mandatory infection control in-service education, but the NA’s personnel file did not show annual Infection Control training for the required period. HR confirmed the training was not provided.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Missing Infection Control Training for Two CNAs
D
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

The facility failed to ensure that two of six employees had infection control training as part of its IPC program. During an extended survey, the administrator could not provide evidence of training for two CNAs, and record review showed no documentation that they had received infection control training. The DON and regional director later confirmed that all staff should have infection control training.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Infection Control Training
E
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

Failure to provide Infection Control training to five of five direct care staff was identified. The NHA stated that education is tracked by calendar year and that the facility could not locate 2025 education records for the reviewed LPN, NAs, and RN. The HR Director confirmed that the facility failed to provide the required training.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Missing Infection Control Training Documentation for CNAs
F
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

Missing Infection Control Training Documentation for CNAs: The facility did not provide evidence that 5 CNAs received required infection prevention and control training, even though each had worked at the facility for more than 1 year. The HR Director stated HR handled onboarding only and did not track annual training, and the NHA and DOP confirmed there was no evidence of the training, no organized training records, and no Staff Development Coordinator or designee maintaining training documentation.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Required Infection Control Training
E
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Required Infection Control Training: The facility failed to provide annual Infection Control in-service training for five staff members, including NAs, an RN, and an LPN. Personnel files did not show credible training for the review period, and the NHA confirmed the missing training during interview. The facility policy required regularly scheduled in-service classes and documentation of attendance.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Missing Infection Control Training for Multiple Staff
E
F0945 F945: Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Short Summary

Missing Infection Control Training for Multiple Staff: The facility failed to provide required infection prevention and control training for 9 of 17 direct care staff reviewed, including CNAs, LVNs, the Dietary Manager, the Activity Director, and the ADON. Record review showed no evidence of initial hire training for several employees and no annual training for one CNA. Interviews with the ADON, HR, Administrator, and DON confirmed the training was not completed as required, despite a facility policy requiring initial orientation and in-service training on infection prevention and control standards, policies, and procedures.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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