Failure to Sanitize Glucometer Between Resident Uses
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) failed to properly sanitize a glucometer after checking the blood sugar of a female resident with Type 1 diabetes. The resident required blood glucose monitoring before every meal and at bedtime. After performing a blood sugar check, the LPN placed the used glucometer into a drawer of the medication cart without cleaning or disinfecting it, contrary to facility policy and manufacturer instructions. The glucometer came into contact with other items in the drawer, potentially contaminating them. Interviews with multiple LPNs and the Education and Infection Control Nurse confirmed that the expectation was for the glucometer to be cleaned after each use and before storage. The facility's policy also required cleaning and disinfection of the glucometer between residents. The LPN acknowledged the failure to clean the device and recognized that the items in the drawer were now contaminated as a result.