Unqualified Staff Administered Medication to Resident
Penalty
Summary
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) administered medication to a resident without being qualified or authorized to do so, in violation of facility policy and state regulations. The incident occurred when the resident requested pain medication for a headache, and the CNA, instead of notifying a nurse, retrieved two capsules from behind the nurses' station and gave them directly to the resident. The resident, who was cognitively intact and had a physician's order for acetaminophen as needed, noticed the pills did not resemble his usual Tylenol and subsequently reported feeling unwell. He informed the nurse, who then contacted the physician and sent the resident to the emergency room for evaluation. Toxicology results confirmed the medication given was acetaminophen. The facility's investigation included statements from the CNA, who admitted to giving the pills to avoid making the resident wait for a nurse, and from the RN on duty, who was unaware of the resident's pain or the medication administration. The CNA's job description and the Indiana State Department of Health Nurse Aide Curriculum both explicitly prohibit CNAs from administering medications. The resident's clinical record indicated ongoing pain issues, and the care plan required medication administration by qualified personnel, which was not followed in this instance.