Failure to Properly Label Enteral Feeding Setup
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow proper procedures for labeling a continuous gastrostomy tube feeding for one resident who was dependent on enteral nutrition. The resident, who had chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, diabetes mellitus, and was unable to eat by mouth, received all nutrition through a gastrostomy tube. Physician orders specified that the enteral feeding pump tubing, solution, and piston syringe should be changed nightly, and that the feeding should be administered continuously at a specified rate. The resident's care plan included interventions such as elevating the head of the bed and monitoring for complications related to tube feeding. During multiple observations, the enteral feeding bag was found to be inadequately labeled, missing required information such as the resident's name, type of feeding solution, additives, the name of the nurse who prepared the feeding, and the rate and method of infusion. Staff interviews confirmed that the facility's policy required this information to be included on the label, but it was not consistently done. The DON and NP both acknowledged the importance of proper labeling and confirmed that the observed practice did not meet facility expectations.