Infection Control Breach Due to Improper Hand Hygiene and Trash Handling
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to proper infection prevention and control practices, as evidenced by the actions of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) identified as J. On the morning of April 2, 2025, CNA J was observed donning gloves from a treatment cart without performing the required hand hygiene before entering a resident's room to assist with wound care. Later, CNA J acknowledged the importance of hand hygiene when donning and doffing gloves but admitted to forgetting this crucial step. In the afternoon of the same day, CNA J was seen holding a trash bag from a different room while standing at the doorway of another resident's room. He entered the room with the trash bag, which he later confirmed contained waste from a different resident's room. The Director of Nursing confirmed that this action was a breach of infection control protocols, as staff are expected to discard items removed from a resident's room in the soiled utility room and perform hand hygiene before entering another resident's room. This incident was recognized as a cross-contamination risk and a violation of the facility's infection control standards.