Failure to Perform Hand Hygiene During Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
A trained medication aide (TMA) was observed administering medications to multiple residents without performing appropriate hand hygiene before, after, or between resident contacts. The TMA prepared and administered medications to three different residents consecutively, failing to wash or sanitize hands at any point during the process, including after completing all medication administrations. The TMA later acknowledged the failure to perform hand hygiene and recognized its importance in preventing the spread of infection. During the observation, another staff member, an LPN, was present and the TMA requested assistance. The director of nursing (DON) confirmed that facility policy requires staff to perform hand hygiene before and after all medication administrations and between residents. The facility's hand washing/hygiene policy, last revised in February 2024, specifies that hand washing must be completed between resident care and whenever direct physical contact with a resident occurs.