Improper Disposal of Used Lancets During Blood Glucose Testing
Penalty
Summary
A registered nurse was observed performing blood glucose testing on a resident and failed to follow proper infection control procedures regarding the disposal of used lancets. After checking the resident's blood sugar, the nurse discarded the used lancet into a regular garbage can next to the resident's bed instead of using the designated sharps container. This action was observed twice during the same encounter, despite the nurse acknowledging during interviews that the lancets should have been disposed of in the sharps container as per facility policy. The facility's policy on obtaining a fingerstick glucose level clearly states that used lancets must be disposed of in sharps disposal containers. The Director of Nursing confirmed during an interview that the nurse's actions were not in accordance with this policy. The incident involved a resident undergoing blood glucose monitoring, and the nurse's repeated failure to use the sharps container constituted a breach of infection control practices.