INFECTION CONTROL: New Bed Pan Washing Regulations

[kwvath]

According to recent CMS updates, I read that facilities who are washing bed pans in resident sinks will receive an automatic F441 citation.

When I came to LTC from the hospital several years ago, I remembered that I was amazed that facilities were washing bed pans in sinks but quickly found that nearly all facilities do so because many of them are equipped with residential-style toilets rather than hospital-grade with the built-in bed-pan-washers.

I quickly priced these types of toilets and they are well over $500/piece which I anticipate will be a hard-sell for our administrator.

How are your facilities balancing the "culture change" aspect of moving towards a more residential feel with practicality and specifically dealing with this regulation?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

ewwww....take the bed pan to the dirty utility room and clean it there...ugg...imagine brushing your teeth in a sink that just had a bed pan in it.

[caliotter3]

We were required to take the bedpans to the utility room for this purpose. Our toilets had the bed pan washing features, but for some reason they were all broken or otherwise disabled. Our nurses would have a fit if they caught the CNAs washing bed pans in the sinks.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

i have seen the plastic ones thrown out, i would presume for this reason.....if it is urine only i have seen the requirment of using a cup to obtian water from the sink and rinsing the pan with that...

[kwvath]

Thanks. For those that take to the soiled utility room...really? Carry a nasty bed pan through the hall? How does that work?

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Thanks. For those that take to the soiled utility room...really? Carry a nasty bed pan through the hall? How does that work?

Our soiled utility room doesn't have a sink in it either. We have shower rooms with bathrooms in them, but residents use those.

I'd love to hear more input on this one!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks. For those that take to the soiled utility room...really? Carry a nasty bed pan through the hall? How does that work?

Put a paper towel over it and walk down the hall. For that, gloves in the hall are allowed.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Put a paper towel over it and walk down the hall. For that, gloves in the hall are allowed.

you can by paper covers.....by the gross, pun intended...

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

so what is CMS's answer to exactly how they are supposed to be cleaned?

personally, i like the idea of using a cup to rinse it out over the toilet. you'd have to put the pan in a plastic bag to carry down the hall, i would think.

[debRN0417]

CMS is not going to tell you HOW to do it, they are just going to tell you you HAVE to do it....it is easier that way- it's like a disclaimer.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Thanks. For those that take to the soiled utility room...really? Carry a nasty bed pan through the hall? How does that work?

we use disposable paper bed pan covers

[nursinger]

According to recent CMS updates, I read that facilities who are washing bed pans in resident sinks will receive an automatic F441 citation.

My God, what are people thinking? I can't even imagine someone doing this. Remember those bed pan sterilizers (hoppers) we used awhile back? Whatever happened to them anyway? I could never understand why they got rid of them. They used water that was something like 2000 degrees (well maybe not that hot) to wash the bed pans. When it was done washing, the door would open and the hot steam came rising out of it and you knew that bed pan was good to go for the next round. I thought they were better than washing them out with that sprayer contraption that's hooked up to the resident's toilet. That's what we have now. I don't like them, but I guess it's better than nothing. Give me the old bed pan hopper any day.