Lawrence Co Nursing: Infection Control Failures - MS
The September 4 incident at Lawrence Co Nursing Center involved a resident who has lived at the facility since March 2019 with a stage 2 pressure ulcer on their sacrum. The resident scored a 4 on cognitive testing, indicating severe mental impairment.
Licensed Practical Nurse #1 entered the resident's room at 10:35 AM carrying supplies on a white disposable barrier. She placed the barrier on the foot of the resident's bed, then set a bottle of hand sanitizer and clean gloves directly on the bedside table without cleaning the surface first.
The nurse put on gloves, removed the resident's soiled dressing, and placed it in a biohazard bag. She then removed her gloves, sanitized her hands, and grabbed new gloves from the contaminated bedside table.
She repeated this exact sequence four times. Each time, she retrieved gloves and sanitizer from the undisinfected table surface before continuing wound care on the resident's sacral ulcer.
When interviewed 29 minutes later, the nurse admitted her mistake. She confirmed she had not disinfected the bedside table before placing supplies on it and acknowledged she should have cleaned the table before and after wound care.
"She stated she should have cleaned the table before and after wound care and acknowledged her actions placed the resident at risk for infection," inspectors wrote.
The facility's Director of Nursing agreed the nurse had violated infection control protocols. During a 12:24 PM interview, she explained that the nurse should have disinfected the bedside table and used a barrier before placing any supplies on it. The director confirmed that failing to follow this practice could lead to infection.
The facility's own Infection Preventionist nurse reinforced the severity of the violation during a 2:23 PM interview. She stated that no items should ever be placed on a bedside table without first disinfecting the surface.
The infection control expert explained the contamination pathway: germs present on the dirty surface could transfer to the gloves and sanitizer bottle, then be carried directly to the resident's open wound during treatment.
This created what inspectors called "a risk of infection" for a resident already vulnerable due to severe cognitive impairment and an existing pressure ulcer that had persisted for over six years.
The resident's wound required daily specialized care under a physician's order dated June 20. The treatment protocol called for cleansing the stage 2 pressure wound with wound cleanser, patting it dry, lightly packing it with calcium alginate, and securing it with adhesive foam until healed.
Lawrence Co Nursing Center's own infection control policy, revised in April 2021, requires the facility to "maintain an Infection Control Program designed to provide a safe, sanitary, and comfortable environment with minimal exposure to the transmission of disease and infection."
The policy directly contradicted what inspectors observed during the wound care session.
Federal inspectors noted that the facility failed to follow basic infection prevention practices, creating potential for cross-contamination during treatment of a vulnerable resident's chronic wound.
The violation occurred despite the facility having designated infection control staff who clearly understood proper protocols. Both the Director of Nursing and the Infection Preventionist nurse could articulate exactly what should have happened during the wound care session.
Yet the licensed practical nurse treating the resident's six-year-old pressure ulcer contaminated sterile supplies four separate times during a single treatment, each time placing clean gloves and hand sanitizer on a surface that could harbor dangerous bacteria.
The resident with severe cognitive impairment had no ability to advocate for proper infection control during their wound care. They depended entirely on nursing staff to follow protocols designed to prevent additional complications to an existing injury.
Instead, they received treatment with supplies that had been repeatedly exposed to potential contamination from an undisinfected surface, creating what the facility's own infection control expert described as a direct pathway for germs to reach an open wound.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lawrence Co Nursing Center from 2025-09-04 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
LAWRENCE CO NURSING CENTER in MONTICELLO, MS was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 4, 2025.
The resident scored a 4 on cognitive testing, indicating severe mental impairment.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.