Improper Catheter Care Leads to Deficiency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper catheter care for a resident with a Foley catheter, leading to a deficiency. The staff did not maintain the urine collection bag below the level of the resident's bladder, which is crucial to prevent urine backflow and potential urinary tract infections. This issue was observed during a bed bath and brief change, where the Certified Nurse Aide lifted the urine collection bag above the resident's torso, causing visible backflow of urine towards the bladder. The resident had a history of frequent urinary tract infections and was at high risk for further infections due to this improper handling. The resident had undergone recent surgery and returned with a urinary catheter bag that had shorter tubing, which was reported by staff but not addressed promptly. The Registered Nurse Nurse Manager acknowledged the issue but did not take immediate action to resolve it. The Infection Control Preventionist was aware of the problem but did not report it further, assuming it would be addressed during surgical follow-up. The surgeon was not informed of the issue until after the surveyor's observation, highlighting a communication breakdown within the facility regarding the resident's catheter care needs.
Plan Of Correction
Plan of Correction: Approved March 6, 2025 Schoellkopf Health Center submits that its policies, systems and procedures related to the resident care and comprehensive quality improvement program for monitoring of resident care are appropriate. Additionally, it is important to make clear that the submission of this Plan of Correction is not to be construed as an admission that the cited deficiencies are accurate or that at the time of the survey Schoellkopf Health Center did not have policies, procedures and systems in place to maintain compliance with federal and state requirements. However, in an effort to enhance the care furnished to our residents, we have improved some of our existing policies, procedures and systems. I.) The following corrective action was accomplished for the deficiency stated: A.) The CNA that provided inadequate Foley care to Resident #2 was termed from her agency employment contract on (MONTH) 11, 2025 prior to notification of this deficiency. Due to concerns that the administrator and director of nursing were made aware, the facility had already placed her and her agency contract on a “watch status” for performance improvement, which was not accomplished. This appears to be an isolated incident with this particular CNA as she is quoted by state surveyor during interview saying she was “aware the bag was supposed to remain below the resident’s bladder to prevent infection.” B.) Resident #2 had a cystoscopy procedure on 2/4/2025, returned same day to facility with a leg bag attached to her thigh below the bladder. RN unit manager contacted the surgeon on 2/10/2025 and obtained orders to remove leg bag and replace with full urinary collection bag. C.) Resident #2 was on 24-hour report for nursing to monitor for any ill effects s/p cystoscopy or s/s of UTI. D.) The CNA did not care for any other residents with a foley. II.) The following corrective actions have been implemented to ensure all CNA staff are aware of proper Foley care as all residents have the potential to be affected by the same practice. A.) All CNA staff will be in-serviced by IP/In-service Coordinator on proper Foley catheter care to help prevent infections. B.) All residents with an indwelling urinary foley identified and they will be monitored for s/s of UTI. III.) The following systemic changes have been implemented to assure continued compliance with regulations. A.) All nursing staff: RN, LPN, and CNA will be required to complete a Relias training titled “Care of a Urinary Catheter” on a yearly basis. B.) IP/In-service Coordinator or designee will audit 1 resident with a foley per week times 4 weeks, then 1 per month times 2 months to ensure competency in emptying procedure. C.) Administrator and Director of Nursing reviewed policy titled “Catheter Care,” remains appropriate and no changes were made to the policy. IV.) The facilities compliance will be monitored utilizing the following QAPI system: A.) IP/In-service Coordinator will track all staff’s compliance with assigned Relias trainings and report results to QAPI committee, which meets quarterly. B.) IP/In-service Coordinator will report audits to the QAPI committee, which meets quarterly. C.) The IP/In-service Coordinator Nurse will be responsible for overall monitoring and evaluation of implemented plans.