Medication Cart Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
A medication cart was observed unlocked and unattended in front of the A Hall nurses' station on two separate occasions during the survey, with no staff present in the vicinity. Facility policy requires that medication carts remain locked and not be left unattended. During an interview, an RN admitted to leaving the cart unlocked and unattended, acknowledging that this was against policy and could allow a resident to access medications. The RN also noted that there was a resident known to wander in the area who could potentially access the cart. The facility administrator confirmed that medication carts must be locked whenever staff step away and recognized the risk associated with leaving the cart unsecured. No specific residents were reported to have accessed the cart or been harmed at the time of the deficiency.