Medications Left Unattended at Bedside
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to ensure that medications were administered in accordance with accepted professional standards for one resident. The resident, who had diagnoses including atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and hypertension, was cognitively intact as indicated by a high BIMS score. During an observation, a medication cup containing approximately ten pills of various sizes and colors was found on the resident's bedside table. The resident explained that he could not take the medications when they were brought to him because he had a piece of candy in his mouth and intended to take them after finishing the candy. An interview with the LPN responsible for administering the medications revealed that the nurse left the medications at the bedside at the resident's request, as the resident was described as non-compliant with care and refused to take the medications at the time they were offered. The LPN later retrieved the empty medication cup, indicating the resident had taken the medications. The facility's administration confirmed that the nurse should not have left the medications at the bedside and should have returned them to the medication cart.