Failure to Follow Infection Control Protocols for Equipment Disinfection and Glove Use
Penalty
Summary
A Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) failed to clean and disinfect a blood pressure machine before and after use between multiple residents during blood pressure checks. This was observed during a morning medication pass, where the LVN used the same device on three different residents without performing any disinfection. The LVN later acknowledged in an interview that the equipment should have been disinfected between uses. The facility's Infection Preventionist confirmed that the protocol requires disinfection of medical devices after each use, and the facility's policy also specifies cleaning and wiping the sphygmomanometer and cuff with antiseptic. Additionally, the same LVN was observed donning gloves that had been stored in her scrub pocket prior to administering medication to a resident. In an interview, the LVN stated she believed it was acceptable to use gloves stored in her pocket. However, the Infection Preventionist clarified that facility protocol requires staff to obtain gloves from wall-mounted glove boxes and that storing gloves in pockets is not permitted due to contamination risks. The facility's policy on glove use outlines the importance of using gloves to prevent the spread of infection and specifies when gloves should be used.