Failure to Maintain Clean Shower Rooms and Proper Sharps Disposal
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s infection prevention and control program related to unclean and poorly maintained shower rooms. Observations with a licensed nurse in the South Station shower room revealed mold on the shower curtain and tiles, used bandages (including one with dried blood) on the shower floor and adjacent shelf, a ball of hair on the drain, broken tiles, and an overfilled sharps container with razors sticking out. In the East Station shower room, the same nurse confirmed an overflowing trash bin with bagged soiled items and no cover, an overfilled sharps container with razors overflowing, a dirty yellow PPE gown on the floor, another gown on a bedside table, and an open air freshener can on the floor. The nurse stated the rooms were dirty, that most residents used these shower rooms, and that residents or staff could be hurt by the exposed sharps and that the rooms could have spread infectious organisms to residents. Further observations with another licensed nurse showed the northwest shower room was out of order, mold was present in the northeast shower room, and cracked tiles and peeled paint were present in the north station shower room, which the nurse confirmed was unclean and should have been cleaned after each use. The infection prevention nurse confirmed the presence of mold, cracked tiles, dirty bandages, dark mold on the shower curtain, overflowing sharps containers with razors sticking out and on top, used and packaged PPE gowns left in the shower rooms, an open air freshener can on the floor, and an overflowing trash bin with uncovered soiled items. The infection prevention nurse stated the shower rooms were dirty, that improper cleaning practices can lead to spread of infections, and that improper disposal of full sharps containers can result in cuts and transmission of infectious organisms. The infection prevention nurse also confirmed she did not perform daily checks of the shower rooms to ensure proper cleaning. The DON confirmed the expectation that shower rooms be cleaned after each resident use and acknowledged that overflowing sharps in the shower rooms could have spread infectious organisms to staff and residents, in contrast to the facility’s written infection prevention and sharps disposal policies.
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