Failure to Properly Clean and Store Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper cleaning and storage of respiratory equipment for two residents who required respiratory care. In one instance, a registered nurse administered a breathing treatment to a resident with COPD and asthma, then disposed of the remaining medication and returned the used respiratory mask and tubing to a clear plastic bag without evidence of proper rinsing or drying. The resident's care plan and physician's orders indicated the need for regular respiratory therapy, but the observed practice did not align with the facility's policy, which requires rinsing and drying of equipment before storage. For another resident with acute and chronic respiratory failure, traumatic brain injury, and quadriplegia, multiple observations revealed that nebulizer equipment was stored wet inside a clear bag next to the bed, and the suction tubing was visibly soiled with green and white debris. The suction canister was half full of green liquid, and the suction tubing was stored together with the nebulizer set, contrary to the facility's policy that requires separate storage and cleaning. Interviews with nursing staff confirmed that equipment was sometimes rinsed and placed in storage bags while still wet, and the DON acknowledged that equipment should be clean and dry before storage. The facility's own policies for nebulizer and suction equipment require thorough washing, rinsing, air drying, and separate storage of clean equipment. However, direct observations and staff interviews demonstrated that these procedures were not consistently followed, resulting in improper cleaning and storage of respiratory equipment for residents who required ongoing respiratory therapy and suctioning.