Failure to Check Gastric Residual Volume During G-Tube Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a registered nurse failed to check the gastric residual volume prior to administering medications and water flushes through a gastrostomy tube for a resident with a g-tube. The facility's policy and the resident's care plan both required monitoring of gastric residual volume before administering nutrition and medications. During observation, the nurse stopped the feeding, disconnected the tubing, and checked tube placement using the air rush technique, but did not check the gastric residual volume at the time of medication administration. The nurse confirmed this omission, stating that the gastric residual had only been checked earlier in the shift. The assistant director of nursing also confirmed that gastric residual volume should be checked at the time of g-tube medication administration.