Failure to Timely Complete Physician-Ordered Urinalysis
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a diagnosis of dementia with behavioral disturbance was admitted and later discharged from the facility. During the resident's stay, a grievance was filed indicating that a registered nurse (RN) received an order for a urinalysis (UA) but did not follow through with entering the order into the system. The order was eventually entered and the specimen was sent for stat processing, with results returning negative. However, the delay in entering and processing the UA order was confirmed through interviews and document review. The facility was unable to provide relevant policies when requested. Interviews with the administrator confirmed that the RN had not entered the physician's order as expected, and the nurse practitioner stated that staff are expected to enter and follow physician orders. The failure to timely complete the UA had the potential to delay treatment for abnormal laboratory results.