Items that must be locked up for survey

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Can anyone give me a quick overview of what needs to be locked up--- For example Barrier cream with zinc? I am a new DON and past DON here for 35 years and faclilty still follows the same rules from 35 years ago... HELP!!! I have to argue with my nurses on continual basis in regards to survey issues.

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Umm, the idea is not that you lock them up for surveys-- you lock them up all the time, and the survey is just confirming that.

Suggest you contact the state board that regulates your type of facility and ask for their print out on this issue. They'll share it with you. If you get pushback from your staff, you need backup from corporate or whatever. Maybe letting them know that surveys don't have to be pre-announced or -scheduled and the penalties for deficiencies would get someone's attention.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

Any medicated type cream/oint/lotion needs in the treatment cart. We leave barrier cream in the bedside drawer. A general rule of thumb is even if it is a non-medicated cream/lotion/oint...anything that has the direction "Keep out of reach of children" needs to be in a drawer and not out in the open. The craziest things can have a "keep out of reach of children" label so look at everything.

Like Grn Tea says - this is AT ALL TIMES...not just when state is in the building.

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I am a state surveyor and things do change in 35 years. The above poster is correct. Surveyors do look at items that are left out for the wording " keep out of reach of children".

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and this is why every patient room should have a lock box for tx supplies!

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