Failure to Properly Rinse Medication Syringe for Enteral Feeding
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a licensed nurse failed to properly rinse a medication syringe after administering medication via a gastrostomy tube to a resident. The resident, who was non-verbal, had severely impaired cognition, and required total assistance with all activities of daily living, was observed to have a medication syringe stored in a plastic bag with yellow liquid at the bottom and a yellowish white dried powdery substance stuck to the side. The facility's care plan and physician's orders required that syringes be rinsed thoroughly after each use to prevent complications, and the manufacturer's guidelines also specified thorough rinsing after each use. During an interview, the Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed that the syringe should have been rinsed well before being placed back in the storage bag, as failure to do so could place the resident at risk for gastrointestinal problems. The observation and record review confirmed that the nurse did not follow established protocols for syringe care, resulting in the potential for complications associated with enteral feeding.