Failure to Follow Manufacturer's Disinfection Instructions for Shared Equipment
Penalty
Summary
Nursing staff failed to implement proper infection control practices during medication administration for one of four residents reviewed. Specifically, a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) was observed cleaning a shared manual blood pressure cuff and stethoscope with a germicidal disposable wipe but did not allow the equipment to remain visibly wet for the required two minutes as specified by the manufacturer's instructions. The LVN incorrectly believed the required contact time was one minute, despite the instructions on the wipe container indicating a two-minute wet time was necessary to effectively disinfect the equipment. Interviews with the LVN, the Infection Preventionist (IP), and the Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that staff are expected to disinfect shared equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions, which include maintaining the specified contact time. The facility's policy also requires reusable resident care equipment to be decontaminated between residents per manufacturer guidelines. The failure to follow these procedures was observed during a medication pass and was corroborated by staff interviews and a review of the facility's policy and the manufacturer's instructions.