Infection Control Lapses in Hand Hygiene, Glucometer Cleaning, and Wound Care
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to perform proper hand hygiene during incontinent care for a resident who was dependent on staff for toileting hygiene. During observation, a CNA did not perform hand hygiene before, during, or after providing care, nor before exiting the resident's room. The CNA later confirmed this lapse, and the Director of Nursing reported that the facility lacked both a handwashing policy and an incontinent care policy. Additionally, a LPN did not clean or disinfect a glucometer after performing a capillary blood glucose check on a resident, placing the used device back into the medication cart without cleaning. The LPN acknowledged the potential for contamination. In a separate incident, a wound care nurse used the same gauze to clean both around and inside a surgical incision, handled clean dressings with contaminated gloves, and used uncleaned scissors from his pocket during wound care. The nurse confirmed these lapses and the DON stated there was no wound care policy in place.