Failure to Promptly Notify Physician of Resident's Suspected Hip Dislocation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to promptly notify a resident's physician after the resident complained of pain and suspected a right hip dislocation. The resident, who had a history of right femur fracture and hip dislocation and was dependent on staff for personal care, reported waking up in pain after hearing a pop in the right hip while attempting to retrieve an abductor pillow. The resident expressed that the hip felt dislocated and requested to be sent to the emergency room. Documentation showed that a nurse texted the attending physician about the resident's condition, but the physician did not respond during the nurse's shift, and no further attempts were made to contact the physician or escalate the issue to the medical director as required by facility policy. The physician was not made aware of the resident's complaint until later that afternoon, at which point an X-ray was ordered. The facility's policy required nursing staff to contact the physician based on the urgency of the situation and to escalate to the medical director if there was no timely response. The delay in physician notification and lack of escalation resulted in the resident not receiving timely assessment and intervention for the reported hip dislocation and pain.