F0947

D

Failure to Provide Required Annual In‑Service Training for CNAs

Rensselaer, New York Survey Completed on 02-25-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that nurse aides received at least 12 hours of annual in‑service training, including dementia care and abuse prevention, as required by regulation and the facility’s own assessment. Record review showed that 11 of 14 CNAs did not complete the minimum required hours or topics. The facility assessment dated 1/2026 specified that nurse aide in‑service training must be no less than 12 hours per year and include dementia management and resident abuse prevention, as well as topics such as communication, resident rights, emergency planning, person‑centered care, behavioral management, substance abuse identification, trauma‑informed care, body mechanics, infection control, and culture change. It also stated that training should address areas of weakness identified in performance reviews and the facility assessment.

Education records and in‑service sign‑in sheets demonstrated that multiple CNAs fell short of these requirements. One CNA hired in 2013 completed 7 of 11 required electronic topics totaling 4 of 7.5 hours and attended 5 in‑service trainings in 2025, while another hired in 2017 completed only 3 of 11 topics totaling 2.5 of 7.5 hours and attended 1 in‑service. Other CNAs hired between 1984 and 2024 showed similar shortfalls, such as completing only 3–6 of 8–14 required electronic topics and accumulating between 2.5 and 6 hours of electronic education, with 0–2 in‑service sessions attended in 2025. Several CNAs had no in‑service attendance documented for the year. The facility was unable to provide evidence that these CNAs had received the full 12 hours of mandatory annual training, including dementia and abuse content.

Interviews with administrative and nursing staff revealed inconsistent responsibility and follow‑through for the education program, contributing to the deficiency. The assistant administrator stated that the nurse educator role typically belonged to the ADON, and that RN staff had been “filling in,” with on‑the‑spot education occurring as needed. Staff reported that online education was done through an electronic system, but that education had stopped for a period during management changes, and that reminders were not consistently generated or posted. One LPN stated they did not know how to access the computer‑based education, and another acknowledged having overdue electronic education. The acting DON stated they did not do education, and the new DON and administrator both acknowledged that the education process lacked structure, that responsibilities had shifted with staff turnover, and that they were unclear or mistaken about the exact annual hour requirements for CNAs. These actions and inactions resulted in the facility’s failure to ensure sufficient, documented annual in‑service training for the affected CNAs.