Medications Left Unattended at Bedside
Penalty
Summary
A licensed nurse left a cup containing 19 medications unattended on a resident's bedside table. The resident, who had diagnoses including atrial fibrillation and urinary tract infection and was assessed as cognitively intact, reported that the nurse left the medications while the resident was still asleep and did not provide information about what the medications were or their purposes. The medications included several with specific administration instructions, such as checking the apical pulse, not crushing or chewing, and taking with food or water. The nurse stated she was distracted by another resident and left the medications at the bedside. Facility policy requires that medications are not to be left unattended in resident rooms to ensure safety and prevent drug diversion. Both the nurse and the Director of Nursing confirmed that leaving medications unattended is against facility policy. The observation and interviews confirmed that the medications were left in the resident's room without supervision, in violation of the facility's medication storage and administration protocols.