Medication Cart Left Unlocked During Administration
Penalty
No penalty information released
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
A registered nurse (RN) was observed administering medications and left the medication cart on Hall 2600 unlocked and unattended while entering a resident's room and going behind the privacy curtain. The unlocked cart contained blister packs, bottles, and vials of medications for residents. During an interview, the RN acknowledged leaving the cart unlocked and stated she was aware of the requirement to keep it locked but had forgotten. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that the medication cart should have been locked at all times when not in use and that staff had received training on this policy. Review of the facility's policy indicated that medication carts are to remain locked at all times when not in use.