Failure to Follow IV Medication Preparation and Administration Standards
Penalty
Summary
Staff L, an LPN, failed to follow professional standards and facility policy during the preparation and administration of IV antibiotics for a resident. The LPN initially used a reconstituted vial of Cefepime that had been combined with IV fluid at the beginning of her shift, rather than immediately before administration as required. During the preparation process, she was unable to remove all the medication from the vial and disposed of it, then repeated the preparation with a new vial and IV bag. The LPN attempted to prime the IV tubing over a trash can but was unable to clear all the air from the tubing at that time, only completing the air removal after hanging the bag on the IV pole. The facility's policy requires that medications be prepared immediately before administration and that IV tubing be properly primed to remove air before connecting to the resident. The Director of Nursing confirmed that staff are expected to follow these procedures. The observed actions did not align with these requirements, resulting in a failure to provide care and services according to professional standards and facility policy for the safe and appropriate administration of IV fluids.