Infection Control Lapses in Resident Care and Wound Management
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified two infection prevention and control deficiencies during their review. In one instance, an unlabeled and uncovered bedpan was found placed on a handrail in a resident's bathroom, along with an unlabeled and uncovered bath basin left upside down with bath linens on the floor. The Geriatric Nursing Assistant interviewed was unable to identify the owner of the items and acknowledged that the proper procedure was not followed, as these items should have been cleaned, bagged, and stored in the resident's bedside table drawer. In a separate incident, a Licensed Practical Nurse performed a dressing change for a resident with a pressure ulcer but failed to perform hand hygiene after removing soiled gloves and before donning clean gloves to apply a new dressing. The facility's policy and the nurse's competency documentation both required hand hygiene at this step. The unit manager confirmed the failure to follow proper hand hygiene protocol during the dressing change.