HospitalInspections.org

Based on a review of facility documents and staff interview (EMP), it was determined that Curahealth Heritage Valley failed to assign care of each patient to nursing personnel in accordance with the patient's needs and specialized qualifications and competence of the nursing staff available for three of thirty-one staffing sheets reviewed.

Findings include:

Review of facility policy on August 8, 2017, at approximately 1:00 PM, "Nursing Staffing Plan" dated June 2017, revealed, "Policy: A. The Nursing Services Department supports the provision of quality patient care in a safe, cost effective manner by appropriately using qualified and skilled personnel. The staffing plan is determined during the budgetary process based on historical data, projections for future program development and expansion and staff input into the needs of the patients, unit, and staff ... Procedure: To provide adequate numbers of Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and other personnel for the provision of nursing care to all patients. Procedure: A. There will be at a minimum of (1) Registered Nurses supervising bed control, admissions, discharges and patient care for the hospital 24-hour days, 7 days a week ... H. Staffing schedules will be prepared and available for staff. Adjustments in staffing will be the responsibility of the charge nurse in response to changes in patient census or acuity. ..."

1. Review on August 9, 2017, at approximately 1:00 PM, revealed "Curahealth Daily Staffing Sheets" dated July 4, 2017, which indicated that there were two nurses working on the daylight shift. One nurse had no patients listed, and one nurse had a note that indicated, "6 pts". The specific patient assignment could not be determined based on the staffing sheet.

2. Review on August 9, 2017, at approximately 11:00 AM "Curahealth Daily Staffing Sheets" dated July 9, 2017, listed one licensed practical nurse and two registered nurses on duty. The assignment sheet did not reflect which patients the nurses were assigned. The staffing sheet also indicated, "Census at Midnight" which was blank.

3. Review on August 9, 2017, at approximately 11:00 AM "Curahealth Daily Staffing Sheets" dated July 11, 2017, listed two nurses on duty. The assignment sheet did not reflect which patients the the two nurses were assigned. The staffing sheet also indicated, "Census at Midnight" which was blank.

3. Interview with EMP2 on August 9, 2017, at approximately 11:00 AM, confirmed that when census is low, the patients may not be listed on the assignment sheet.