Medications Left Unattended at Bedside
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a history of right fibula fracture, osteoporosis, ankle effusion, anxiety, and major depression was observed lying in bed with several unidentified medications left in a plastic cup on her bedside tray. There was no assessment for self-administration of medication documented for this resident. During observation, the resident picked up the cup, spilled the pills on her bed, and began taking them one at a time. The resident later stated that a nurse had placed the medications on her bedside tray and walked away, and that she preferred to take her time with her pills due to difficulty swallowing larger tablets. The registered nurse confirmed that she had left the medications on the bedside tray for the resident to take when she woke up, acknowledging that this was not the correct procedure.