Failure to Maintain Catheter Tubing and Collection Bag Off the Floor
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper care of an indwelling urinary catheter for one resident, resulting in the catheter tubing and collection bag coming into contact with the floor. During an observation, the resident was seen sitting in a wheelchair in the activity area with the catheter tubing dragging on the floor as staff passed by. The facility's policy requires that catheter tubing and collection bags be kept off the ground to prevent complications, but this was not followed in this instance. Interviews with staff revealed that the catheter tubing was supposed to be checked several times a day, but the Certified Nursing Assistant did not notice the tubing was on the floor and acknowledged it should not have been there. The CNA also mentioned that the privacy bag used for the catheter seemed small, causing the tubing to come out. The Director of Nursing stated that catheter placement was checked every shift and expected staff to monitor it throughout the day. The resident involved had a history of neurogenic bladder, overactive bladder, and previous urinary tract infections, and was cognitively intact at the time of the incident.