Untimely NP Documentation and Signatures for Resident Visits
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that physician and NP visits were signed and dated in a timely manner at each required visit for two residents. For one resident with diagnoses including right foot abscess, major depressive disorder, morbid obesity, hypertensive retinopathy, pulmonary embolism, insomnia, intellectual disability, essential primary hypotension, and diabetes mellitus, the medical record showed late-entry NP progress notes. One late entry documented a bedside assessment for high-risk sexual behavior and was recorded for a date in January but not authored and signed until early February. Another late entry documented a provider visit related to diabetes and morbid obesity, also recorded for an earlier date but not authored and signed until several days later. For a second resident with insomnia, dementia, essential primary hypertension, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus, similar late-entry NP documentation was identified. One late entry described the resident as the recipient of another resident’s inappropriate behavior and was recorded for a January date but not authored and signed until early February. Another late entry documented a visit for a rash, with the note recorded for one date and authored and signed two days later. During an interview, the NP confirmed that she created and signed the late-entry progress notes for both residents on a later date than when the residents were seen and acknowledged that provider visits were not being documented and signed on the days the residents were actually seen, stating she was behind on documentation due to workload.
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