Failure to Disinfect Reusable Equipment and Perform Hand Hygiene
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain infection prevention and control practices as required by its own policies. Specifically, two nurses did not disinfect reusable resident-care equipment, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, after use with two residents. One resident, who was cognitively intact and had a PEG tube, had a stethoscope placed on their abdomen by a nurse who then failed to clean the equipment before placing it back on the medication cart. Another resident, who was severely cognitively impaired, had their blood pressure checked with a reusable cuff that was not disinfected after use. The Director of Nursing confirmed that reusable equipment should be cleaned between residents. Additionally, there were multiple failures in hand hygiene practices during medication administration. One nurse did not perform hand hygiene after removing personal protective equipment, and on another occasion, performed hand hygiene for only 10 seconds before donning gloves but did not do so after glove removal. Another nurse failed to perform hand hygiene before donning gloves, provided care, and only washed hands for 15 seconds after glove removal. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that proper hand hygiene should be performed when donning and doffing gloves.