Improper Management of Dislodged G-Tube and Poor Enteral Feeding Documentation
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure services were provided in accordance with professional standards of nursing practice for a resident with a gastrostomy tube (g-tube). The resident had moderate cognitive impairment, was NPO, and received tube feeding for dysphagia following a CVA, with multiple comorbidities including stroke, hemiplegia, heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes, aphasia, malnutrition, and respiratory failure. The care plan and physician orders addressed ongoing tube feeding, monitoring of the enteral feeding site, and hydration needs, but did not include emergency orders or directives for management of tube dislodgment. When the resident’s g-tube was found dislodged during the night, there was no documented clinical assessment of tract maturity, duration of dislodgment, or evaluation for potential complications, and no physician order authorizing insertion of a Foley catheter into the gastrostomy stoma. According to nursing documentation, the resident had pulled out the g-tube, and an LPN inserted a 16 French Foley catheter into the stoma with 5 cc in the balloon, reportedly as facility protocol to keep the tract patent. The LPN stated they were unaware of a policy to place a Foley catheter into the stoma for a dislodged enteral feeding tube, did not know the size of the original g-tube, and was unsure how long the tube had been out. An RN reported observing the LPN clean the stoma and insert the Foley catheter using a sterile technique to prevent stomal closure. The DON stated they expected staff to follow a policy to place a Foley catheter into the stoma when an enteral feeding tube became dislodged and to follow provider orders, but acknowledged there was no direct provider order to place a Foley catheter in the stoma in this case. The medical director stated that stomal openings close quickly, that they would not want staff to place a Foley catheter into a stomal opening less than six weeks to two months old due to risk of perforation, and that staff competent in urethral Foley insertion were considered capable of placing a Foley into a stomal opening. Competency records for the LPN and RN showed validation only for insertion of urinary catheters into the urinary meatus, not for insertion of a Foley catheter into an enteral feeding stoma. The facility’s feeding tube policy directed staff to insert a temporary tube such as a Foley catheter to prevent tract closure if an enteral feeding tube dislodged and to send the resident to the hospital for possible replacement, but there was no evidence of specific competency for this procedure. A separate deficiency was identified for another resident with a feeding tube when an unlabeled Kangaroo enteral feeding bag containing an unidentified tannish liquid was observed hanging in the room. The RN confirmed staff were expected to label the bag with formula type and start date. Physician orders for this resident required specific water flush volumes before and after feedings and medications, but the medication and treatment administration records only showed that flushes were completed, without documenting the actual amounts used. The DON stated they expected staff to document the flush amounts and to label and date tube feeding bags and supplies for infection control reasons.
Penalty
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The facility failed to meet professional standards for wound care and feeding tube management. Two residents with skin tears had wound care entered and carried out without proper provider notification and without documentation of assessments or family notification, while a cognitively intact resident with a feeding tube was documented as receiving Glucerna enterally even though staff and the resident stated it was being taken orally and no enteral supplies were observed.
Failure to Follow Physician Orders for Insulin and BP Medication: Two residents had medication orders not carried out as directed. One resident with diabetes had Novolog and Lantus insulin doses held for blood sugar readings without documented MD orders to hold them. Another resident with HTN had Metoprolol held with an order for VS monitoring and provider review, but the required VS were not documented and the medication was restarted without communication with the MD.
Failure to Assess Pain and Maintain PICC Dressing Care: One resident developed abdominal pain, received Norco without a documented pain assessment or follow-up assessment, then had vomiting and left for hospital evaluation the same day. A second resident with a PICC line had a dressing that was not changed as ordered; the infusion center found multiple layers of tape over an old dressing and sent the resident for ER evaluation and redressing. The DON acknowledged the missed documentation and missed dressing changes.
Medication administration documentation was not completed correctly for two residents. One resident with DM, schizoaffective disorder, depression, anxiety, GERD, hyperlipidemia, neuropathy, and pain had multiple missed doses later signed off on the MAR, including one gabapentin entry that was pre-signed before it was due. Another resident with schizophrenia had multiple missed doses for psychotropic, cardiac, thyroid, eye drop, and other medications, and the paper MAR showed later sign-offs and pre-signing of timolol, gabapentin, and Valium before they were due. Staff and the DON acknowledged that medications were documented after the fact and, in some cases, before administration.
A former RN failed to follow professional nursing standards when she gave a resident edible marijuana that was not ordered by the physician. An LPN observed the RN cut up what appeared to be candy in the resident’s room, then identify it as marijuana gummies and place pieces within the resident’s reach. The resident had osteoarthritis, mild cognitive impairment, anxiety disorder, and PRN pain orders including tramadol, acetaminophen, heat or ice, and morphine.
A resident with moderate cognitive impairment and diagnoses including a femoral neck fracture and pain had Norco delivered to the facility, but the narcotic was not properly signed into the cart or reconciled. When the resident later requested PRN pain medication, none was available, and the facility’s investigation found that an RN failed to complete the narcotic sign-in process and the medication was never located.
Failure to Document and Follow Ordered Wound and Tube Feeding Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide services that met professional standards of quality for resident skin issues and feeding tube management. For one resident with metabolic encephalopathy, dysphagia, dementia, aphasia, and weakness, staff found a skin tear on the bilateral forearms with dressings already in place and entered wound care orders in the computer without documenting a progress note or contacting a provider to report the findings or confirm the order. The resident’s record showed prior and current wound care orders for skin tears, but there was no documentation in the progress notes from early June through mid-August regarding notification to a provider or the resident representative about the wounds or dressings. A second resident, admitted for orthopedic aftercare and with diagnoses including weakness, difficulty walking, COPD, anxiety, depression, heart failure, PTSD, and excoriation disorder, had a skin tear to the left lateral ankle. The wound care nurse entered a verbal order for wound care, and the MAR/TAR documented daily dressing care, but the progress notes contained no documentation of the skin tear, notification to family or provider, or treatment orders. The resident was cognitively intact, and during observation had a bordered gauze dressing to the left lower extremity. The facility policy required verification of the provider’s order and timely documentation of assessments, observations, and services provided. For a third resident with a feeding tube, intracerebral hemorrhage, cerebral edema, diabetes, morbid obesity, atrial fibrillation, gastrostomy status, and hypertension, the record showed an order for bolus Glucerna 1.5 by enteral route when meals were eaten at less than 75%, with water flushes before and after bolus feedings. However, staff documented the Glucerna as being administered enterally on the MAR/TAR while also stating that the resident was drinking the Glucerna orally. The resident stated she was taking medications and Glucerna by mouth and nothing was going through the feeding tube, and no feeding pump or enteral supplies were observed. The DON stated that if the resident preferred to take the feeding orally, the physician should be notified and the order updated, but the record showed the ordered route was not followed as documented.
Failure to Follow Physician Orders for Insulin and Blood Pressure Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that care and services were provided according to accepted standards of practice for two residents. For one resident with diabetes who was cognitively intact and receiving insulin, physician orders included Novolog insulin with meals and Lantus insulin every 12 hours. The medication administration record showed multiple instances in which Novolog was held for blood sugar readings of 98, 86, 84, and 85 mg/dl, and Lantus was held for blood sugar readings of 71 and 94 mg/dl. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the insulin doses were held without physician orders to do so and without documented evidence that the physician had given such orders. For another resident with diagnoses including hypertension, the physician ordered Metoprolol Tartrate 25 mg every morning and bedtime, then later ordered staff to hold the medication, obtain vital signs twice daily for seven days, and have the provider assess the appropriateness of Metoprolol by reviewing the resident's vital signs. There was no documented evidence that the ordered vital signs were obtained, and the medication was resumed without communication with the physician. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the facility failed to communicate with the provider before restarting the Metoprolol order.
Failure to Assess Pain and Maintain PICC Dressing Care
Penalty
Summary
Licensed nursing staff failed to provide nursing services in accordance with professional standards of quality for two residents. One resident was admitted with diagnoses including high blood pressure, a history of falling, and adult failure to thrive, and was her own health care decision maker. On 6/23/26, she developed abdominal pain at 2:45 p.m. and was given Hydrocodone Acetaminophen (Norco) 5/325 mg, but there was no documentation of a pain assessment or pain level before or after the medication was administered. RN A confirmed that no documentation was completed regarding the resident’s pain assessment, and the medication administration record did not contain an entry showing that Norco had been administered. The same resident continued to have pain, had one episode of vomiting, requested transfer to the hospital, and left the facility at 5:05 p.m. the same day. The DON confirmed that the resident reported abdominal pain, had green-colored vomiting, received Norco as ordered, and then requested hospital transfer for evaluation. The DON later stated that documentation of the resident’s pain should have been entered in the nursing progress notes and that ongoing assessments were required, including use of a pain scale and a full gastrointestinal assessment with bowel sounds and abdominal palpation. A second resident was admitted with diagnoses including UTI, liver disease, and AKI and had physician orders for PICC line dressing changes on admission, then weekly and as needed, and for PICC site assessment every shift. The infusion center documented on 7/20/26 that the resident’s PICC dressing had multiple layers of tape over the original dressing dated 6/27/26, and the infusion center RN recommended emergency room evaluation and a dressing change. The resident stated that staff were not changing the PICC dressing as often as they should have been, and the DON acknowledged that the dressing changes were not performed as required.
Medication Administration Documentation Not Completed Correctly
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its Medication Administration Policy and did not ensure timely and correct documentation of medication administration for two residents. The policy required staff to follow the six rights of medication administration, administer medications before documenting them, and report and document refusals or adverse effects. Surveyors found that medication administration records for both residents showed multiple missed opportunities that were later signed off as administered on paper MARs, and in some instances the documentation was entered before the medication was due. One resident had diagnoses including diabetes mellitus, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, GERD, hyperlipidemia, polyneuropathy, and low back pain. Review of the July 2026 eMAR showed multiple missed administrations across several scheduled medications, including atorvastatin, ezetimibe, Farxiga, gabapentin, Invega, lisinopril, mirtazapine, omeprazole, sertraline, clonazepam, topiramate, fiber, and tramadol. The paper MAR printed later showed that a CMT signed off as administering all of the missed opportunities for many of these medications, and also pre-signed gabapentin before the medication was due. The CMT stated that the documentation was completed on the paper MAR after the fact and that staff should never document a medication as given before it was actually administered. The second resident had diagnoses including schizophrenia, and the July 2026 eMAR showed missed administrations for atorvastatin, furosemide, latanoprost, levothyroxine, olanzapine, Paxil, trazodone, brimonidine, Depakote, medroxyprogesterone, timolol, gabapentin, and Valium. The paper MAR received for this resident showed only one page and included signatures indicating that missed doses had been administered, while timolol, gabapentin, and Valium were pre-signed before they were due. Staff interviews confirmed that the internet outage affected documentation, that some staff used hotspots while others used paper MARs, and that the DON directed staff to sign the paper MARs later. The DON acknowledged that staff should not document medication administration before the medication is actually administered and that the residents should have had completed documentation at the time of administration.
Unauthorized Marijuana Given to Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure staff provided care and services according to professional standards of quality for one resident reviewed for medication administration. Resident 4 was admitted with diagnoses including osteoarthritis, mild cognitive impairment, and anxiety disorder, and had a care plan addressing pain management, including monitoring for side effects of pain medication and offering non-pharmacological pain interventions. The resident also had physician orders for tramadol, acetaminophen, ice or heat application, and morphine sulfate oral concentrate as needed for pain. A former RN provided Resident 4 with edible marijuana that was not ordered by the resident’s physician. An LPN who was receiving orientation from the RN observed the RN cut up what appeared to be candy in the resident’s room, then heard the RN identify it as edible marijuana gummies and acknowledge that she was giving them to the resident. The LPN observed the RN place pieces of the gummies within the resident’s reach. The RN later stated she had provided edible marijuana to the resident and had not given it to other residents.
Failure to Secure and Track a Resident’s Narcotic Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain professional standards of nursing practice for the storage, tracking, and reconciliation of a scheduled controlled substance for one sampled resident. The resident had been admitted with diagnoses including left femoral neck fracture, muscle wasting and atrophy, and unspecified pain, and the admission MDS reflected a BIMS score of 9, indicating moderate cognitive impairment. Review of the facility policy showed it did not specifically address new narcotic medication security after delivery from the pharmacy, and the DON stated the facility did not have a policy for checking in narcotic medications or a drug diversion policy. The resident’s Norco 7.5 mg 30-count blister pack was delivered to the facility, but it was not properly signed into the medication cart and was later found missing when the resident requested PRN pain medication and none was available. Interviews and the facility’s investigation showed an LPN received the narcotic medication and asked a KMA to assist with logging it in, the KMA placed it in the cart and told the oncoming RN that the RN would need to complete the blue and white narcotic sheets, and RN 2 failed to sign the medication into the cart as requested. The investigation also noted RN 2 had suspicious behavior, had accidentally taken home a resident’s medication on another occasion, and the missing Norco was never located.
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