Failure to Follow Contact Precautions: Two residents were on contact precautions, including one with an MDRO UTI and another with C. diff. Staff did not consistently follow posted PPE and hand hygiene instructions, including a CNA entering a room without gown and gloves and CNAs using hand sanitizer instead of soap and water when leaving a resident’s room.
Failure to Follow Contact Precautions: Staff did not consistently follow posted contact precautions for residents with CRE and C. diff. A CNA assisted a resident with a snack without gown or gloves, another CNA handled a resident’s belongings and exited without soap-and-water hand hygiene, and other staff entered rooms or exited after meal delivery without the required PPE or handwashing.
Staff failed to clean reusable mechanical lifts between resident uses, did not complete hand hygiene after handling soiled linens or after coughing and blowing a nose before touching a resident's wheelchair, and did not follow EBP when assisting a resident into bed with a mechanical lift. The IP stated lifts were to be cleaned after each use, hand hygiene was required after disposing of dirty linens and after contact with bodily fluids, and staff assisting a resident on EBP into bed were to wear gloves and a gown.
Improper Disinfection of Shared Glucometer: An agency RN used a shared glucometer to check a resident’s blood sugar and then cleaned it with an alcohol pad wipe instead of an approved EPA disinfectant wipe. Another staff member was stopped before using the same glucometer for the next blood sugar check, and stated she had not received education on disinfecting the glucometer after resident use. The DNS stated staff were expected to use approved EPA disinfectant wipes.
An LPN was observed cleaning a community-use glucometer with an alcohol pad instead of the bleach wipe or equivalent required by the facility policy. The LPN stated he always used alcohol pads, while the DNS stated staff were to use bleach wipes. The glucometer was used for CBG checks on several residents with diabetes, and their records did not indicate a BBP.
Staff failed to follow EBP for two residents with tube feeding and wounds. A CNA provided personal hygiene and bathing to one resident without proper gown and glove use, and staff later confirmed a cloth gown was not appropriate for EBP. For another resident with chronic wounds and MDRO, staff were observed entering the room without PPE, the EBP sign had been removed, and an RN performed wound care without hand hygiene and without a gown, despite active EBP orders.
Improper disinfection of a shared glucometer was observed when an LPN returned from checking a resident’s CBG and placed the device in a drawer without disinfecting it. The facility policy and glucometer manual required EPA-approved disinfectant wipes, but the LPN stated she used alcohol pad wipes instead because she felt the EPA wipes were harsh. The DNS confirmed staff were to use approved EPA disinfectant wipes.
Infection control failures occurred during catheter care, medication administration, and wound care. Two residents had catheter bag drains that touched the floor, and one CNA initially handled a urine-filled bag without PPE. An RN failed to sanitize hands, used improper glove practices, and discarded a lancet and blood test strips in regular trash during CBG testing. Another RN administered meds without proper hand hygiene or PPE, picked pills up from a resident’s shirt and bed with bare hands, and touched the call light with dirty gloves. During wound care, staff placed clean supplies on a dirty bedside table and bed, handled dirty items and a cell phone, and missed required hand hygiene and glove changes.
Failure to Use PPE for Resident on Contact Precautions: A resident on contact precautions had a door sign and PPE bin outside the room, but the sign did not show what to don before entry or where to doff PPE. A housekeeper was observed entering the room, cleaning the bathroom, and handling trash without a gown or mask, and later stated she did not know what the sign meant or what to do. The LPN, EVS Manager, Administrator, and DNS acknowledged the PPE was not worn before entering the room.
A CMA failed to follow infection control technique while preparing medication for administration through a resident’s feeding tube. The medication cup, fluids used to mix the medication, and syringe were placed on the bedside table without a clean barrier, and the Administrator and DNS acknowledged the lapse.
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