Failure to Sanitize Reusable Equipment During Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper infection control practices were followed during medication administration for two residents. In one instance, a nurse used a stethoscope to check a resident's feeding tube placement and then returned the stethoscope to her neck without cleaning it. The same nurse administered medication via a feeding tube and, after use, placed the syringe back in its package and hung it on a pole without rinsing or cleaning it. The nurse later confirmed that the stethoscope should have been cleaned after use, and the Director of Nursing also confirmed that syringes should be cleansed after medication administration. In another instance, a nurse checked a resident's blood pressure using an automatic wrist cuff, placed the cuff in her lab coat pocket after use, and later placed it on top of the medication cart without cleaning it. When questioned, the nurse acknowledged that the wrist cuff should have been cleansed after use. Both residents involved had significant medical histories, including conditions such as cerebral palsy, gastrostomy, MRSA, seizures, COPD, diabetes, and allergic rhinitis. The facility's infection control policy required the cleaning and reprocessing of reusable resident-care equipment, which was not followed in these observed cases.