Michigan Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Practice Exam

For how long must the original incident/accident report be maintained?

1. 1 year

2. 2 years

3. 3 years

4. 5 years

The correct answer is: 2 years

The original incident/accident report must be maintained for a minimum of two years. This requirement aligns with the regulations set forth by various healthcare governing bodies that emphasize the importance of record-keeping in nursing facilities. Maintaining these records for a specified duration ensures that facilities can track incidents, analyze patterns for quality improvement, and comply with state and federal regulations during audits or investigations. Keeping the reports accessible for two years also provides sufficient time for any potential legal matters to surface, as certain claims may be filed after the incident occurs. This retention period ensures that facilities uphold their responsibility to provide safe care and can reference past incidents when developing policies or providing staff training to prevent future occurrences. In contrast, longer durations such as three, four, or five years may exist for different types of records or specific types of facilities but do not apply in this context.