Failure to Properly Handle Soiled Linens and Use PPE During Resident Care
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to properly handle and transport soiled linens for three residents, as observed by surveyors. In one instance, a CNA was seen carrying a soiled blanket with bare hands down the hallway without placing it in a bag, despite facility policy requiring all soiled linens to be bagged before transport. The CNA acknowledged the policy and stated that larger bags were available but not immediately accessible. In another case, a CNA was observed throwing soiled linen into the hallway and then carrying it unbagged with bare hands to the soiled storage area, without performing hand hygiene afterward. The Director of Nursing confirmed that staff are expected to bag soiled linens and perform hand hygiene after handling them, and that appropriate supplies are available. Additionally, staff failed to utilize required personal protective equipment (PPE) when providing high-contact care to a resident on transmission-based precautions (TBP) due to a gastrostomy tube and catheter. During an observation, a CNA was seen providing a bed bath to the resident without wearing PPE, despite signage and a PPE cart being present outside the room. The CNA admitted to forgetting to wear the required gown, gloves, and mask due to being in a hurry. The LVN present during the observation also acknowledged that PPE should have been worn during care for this resident. Facility policy and CDC guidelines provided to surveyors specify that soiled linens must be bagged at the bedside and that staff must wear appropriate PPE when caring for residents on TBP. The Director of Nursing confirmed that staff had been trained on these requirements and that failure to follow them could result in cross-contamination.