Medications Left Unsecured at Bedside Without Authorization
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a registered nurse (RN) left a medication cup containing medication, along with a Trelegy Ellipta inhaler and Fluticasone Propionate nasal spray, on a resident's bedside table while the resident was asleep in a chair. The resident's Medication Administration Record (MAR) indicated that multiple medications were prescribed to be administered in the morning, but there was no documentation authorizing the resident to have medications at the bedside or to self-administer medications. The MAR showed that all medications were documented as administered by the RN, and the physician's orders did not include any instructions for self-administration or bedside storage of medications. The RN confirmed that she left the medications at the bedside for this resident and also allowed the resident to keep the nasal spray and inhaler at the bedside, a practice not extended to other residents. The Director of Nursing (DON) verified that the resident was not on a self-administration program. Facility policy specified that only licensed nurses may prepare, administer, and record medication administration, with no provision for residents to keep medications at their bedside unless specifically authorized. This resulted in a failure to ensure drugs and biologicals were stored in locked compartments and administered as ordered.