Insulin Administration in Medication Room Breaches Infection Control
Penalty
Summary
A licensed practical nurse (LPN) was observed administering insulin to a resident in the medication storage room, which is adjacent to the dining room. The LPN donned gloves, primed the insulin pen, checked the resident's blood sugar, administered the insulin injection, and disposed of the needle in the sharps container before removing gloves and returning the resident to the dining room. The LPN stated that this was not her usual practice, but due to being the only licensed nurse on duty with a trained medication aide, she administered all insulins in the facility that day and used the medication room for this purpose. Interviews with the assistant director of nursing (ADON)/infection control nurse and the director of nursing (DON) revealed that taking residents into the medication room for insulin administration had occurred before, sometimes to provide privacy. The DON was unaware of this practice and acknowledged it as an infection control concern with potential for cross-contamination. Facility policies reviewed indicated that medication storage areas are to be kept clean and only authorized personnel should be present, and that infection control practices are necessary to prevent the spread of infections.