Medications Left Unsupervised at Bedside Without Physician Order
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a nurse left a medication cup containing 17 medications at a resident's bedside without supervision, contrary to facility policy and without a physician's order permitting self-administration. The resident was found asleep and unresponsive to verbal prompts, with the medication cup still present. The nurse later acknowledged that medications should not be left at the bedside and that staff are required to observe residents taking their medications unless there is a specific order allowing self-administration. The facility's policy states that medications must be administered safely and in a timely manner, with staff required to observe administration unless the attending physician has determined the resident can self-administer. In this case, there was no such order for the resident, and the nurse confirmed that leaving medications at the bedside was not permitted. The resident also reported that this nurse had previously left medications at the bedside for unsupervised administration.