Failure to Ensure Physician Orders and Proper Catheter Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that adequate physician orders were in place for an indwelling urinary catheter and did not provide appropriate catheter care for one resident. Review of the resident's clinical record showed that the individual was admitted with an indwelling Foley catheter, but there was no evidence of physician orders for the catheter or related care. Facility policy requires verification of physician orders for indwelling catheters and specifies proper handling and placement of catheter bags. Observations revealed that the resident's urinary drainage bag was placed on the floor, visible from the corridor, and lacked a privacy cover, which is contrary to facility policy. The Director of Nursing confirmed both the absence of physician orders for the catheter and that the catheter bag should not have been on the floor and should have had a privacy cover. These findings demonstrate a failure to follow established protocols for catheter care and documentation.