Failure to Ensure Resident Privacy During Medication Administration via GT
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a licensed nurse failed to provide complete privacy for a resident with a gastrostomy tube (GT) during medication administration. The facility's policy requires privacy to be ensured by pulling the privacy curtain or closing the door to a private room during such procedures. However, during the observation, the privacy curtain in the resident's room was not fully closed, and the room door remained open, exposing the resident to the hallway while the nurse checked GT placement, residual, and administered medications. This lapse resulted in the resident being visible to facility staff, other residents, and visitors passing by. The nurse acknowledged that the privacy curtain should have been drawn to protect the resident's privacy during the procedure. The Director of Nursing was informed of these findings and confirmed the incident.