Failure to Implement Enhanced Barrier Precautions During Wound Care
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to implement enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) during wound care for a resident with a right outer ankle wound that exhibited green drainage. During the dressing change, a licensed nurse and a consultant entered the resident's room, donned gloves, and proceeded with the wound care procedure, including removing the old dressing, cleansing the wound, and applying a new dressing. At no point during the high-contact care activity did staff utilize both gloves and gowns as required by the facility's EBP policy for residents with wounds, nor was the resident placed on EBP at the time of care. Both the licensed nurse and the administrative nurse later acknowledged that the resident should have been on EBP, in accordance with the facility's policy, which mandates gown and glove use for high-contact care activities involving residents with wounds. The policy specifically lists wound care as an activity requiring EBP, but this protocol was not followed during the observed dressing change, resulting in a failure to ensure a sanitary environment and prevent the potential transmission of communicable diseases.