§ 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. ( a ) *Establishment of registry.* The State must establish and maintain a registry of nurse aides that meets the requirement of this section. The registry— ( 1 ) Must include as a minimum the information contained in paragraph (c) of this section:
( 2 ) Must be sufficiently accessible to meet the needs of the public and health care providers promptly;
( 3 ) May include home health aides who have successfully completed a home health aide competency evaluation program approved by the State if home health aides are differentiated from nurse aides; and
( 4 ) Must provide that any response to an inquiry that includes a finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property also include any statement disputing the finding made by the nurse aide, as provided under paragraph (c)(1)(ix) of this section.
( b ) *Registry operation.* ( 1 ) The State may contract the daily operation and maintenance of the registry to a non-State entity. However, the State must maintain accountability for overall operation of the registry and compliance with these regulations.
( 2 ) Only the State survey and certification agency may place on the registry findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property.
( 3 ) The State must determine which individuals who ( i ) have successfully completed a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program or nurse aide competency evaluation program;
( ii ) have been deemed as meeting these requirements; or
( iii ) have had these requirements waived by the State do not qualify to remain on the registry because they have performed no nursing or nursing-related services for a period of 24 consecutive months.
( 4 ) The State may not impose any charges related to registration on individuals listed in the registry.
( 5 ) The State must provide information on the registry promptly.
( c ) *Registry Content.* ( 1 ) The registry must contain at least the following information on each individual who has successfully completed a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program which meets the requirements of § 483.152 or a competency evaluation which meets the requirements of § 483.154 and has been found by the State to be competent to function as a nurse aide or who may function as a nurse aide because of meeting criteria in § 483.150: ( i ) The individual's full name.
( ii ) Information necessary to identify each individual;
( iii ) The date the individual became eligible for placement in the registry through successfully completing a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program or competency evaluation program or by meeting the requirements of § 483.150; and
( iv ) The following information on any finding by the State survey agency of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property by the individual: ( A ) Documentation of the State's investigation, including the nature of the allegation and the evidence that led the State to conclude that the allegation was valid;
( B ) The date of the hearing, if the individual chose to have one, and its outcome; and
( C ) A statement by the individual disputing the allegation, if he or she chooses to make one; and
( D ) This information must be included in the registry within 10 working days of the finding and must remain in the registry permanently, unless the finding was made in error, the individual was found not guilty in a court of law, or the State is notified of the individual's death.
( 2 ) The registry must remove entries for individuals who have performed no nursing or nursing-related services for a period of 24 consecutive months, unless the individual's registry entry includes documented findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property.
( d ) *Disclosure of information.* The State must— ( 1 ) Disclose all of the information in § 483.156(c)(1) (iii) and (iv) to all requesters and may disclose additional information it deems necessary; and
( 2 ) Promptly provide individuals with all information contained in the registry on them when adverse findings are placed on the registry and upon request. Individuals on the registry must have sufficient opportunity to correct any misstatements or inaccuracies contained in the registry.
[56 FR 48919, Sept. 26, 1991; 56 FR 59331, Nov. 25, 1991]