HospitalInspections.org

Based on observation, staff interviews, and review of facility documents, it was determined that the facility failed to ensure and maintain a sanitary environment to avoid transmission of infection and communicable disease.

Findings include:

Reference #1: Facility Policy titled, "Monitoring Healthcare Personnel (HCP), Vendors and Visitation During COVID-19", states, "Hand Hygiene: Temporal Thermometer Procedure: 1. Clean hands with gel. Put on gloves and mask".

Reference #2: Facility Policy titled, "Hand Hygiene", states, "Indications for Hand Hygiene for all healthcare workers (HCW): J. Decontaminate hands after contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient; K. Decontaminate hands after removing gloves."

1. On 8/27/2020 at 11:09 AM, during a tour of the Emergency Department (ED), the following was revealed:

a. Staff #7 was observed conducting COVID intake screening on a walk-in patient. He/she took the patient's temperature using a temporal thermometer without donning [put on] gloves, then proceeded to wipe the thermometer with Sani-Cloth PDI wipes.

i. Staff #7 failed to perform hand hygiene after taking the patient's temperature and after cleaning and disinfecting the thermometer.

2. At 11:42 AM, at the Main ED's Nurse's Station, an ED nurse was observed doffing [removing] his/her gloves, then placed the dirty gloves in his/her pocket. He/she then utilized the staff computer without performing hand hygiene.

3. The above findings were confirmed with Staff #3.