Medication Administration Not Observed by Nurse
Penalty
Summary
A licensed nurse failed to administer medication according to professional standards and facility policy for one resident. During a medication pass, the nurse prepared an antibiotic (Fosfomycin Tromethamine) by mixing it with water and, after observing the resident take other medications, handed the antibiotic mixture to the resident with instructions to drink it. The nurse then left the room without observing the resident consume the medication, contrary to the facility's policy, which requires nurses to observe residents taking their medications. The resident later confirmed that they had taken the medication, and the empty cup was observed, but the nurse did not return to verify this. In an interview, the nurse acknowledged that it was not standard practice to leave medication with a resident unsupervised and admitted there was no way to guarantee the medication was taken. This incident was identified during a survey and was found to be inconsistent with both professional standards and the facility's own medication administration policy.