[NC Girl 35]

I work at a privately owned skilled facility and they are training some of the CNA's for 3 days to go out on the halls and pass meds. How on earth can you do that? It's not safe. I know the bottom line is to cut cost. I also heard that med techs can't pass narcs, do fingersticks, injections, treatments and tube feedings. What is the point? Currently on my hall 2/3 of the people get routine narcs. How is that gonna help me if I have to go right behind them and give them the narcs, injections, do all the paperwork, tubefeeding, etc. This job pays well and I hate to leave, but I'm not sure if I want to be responsible for med techs with such little training. I can definately find a job somewhere else but I'm pretty comfortable here. I guess I'm just gonna have to sit back and see how it all pans out. Does anyone work with Medtechs? How is the routine at your facility?

[pagandeva2000]

From what I hear, the nurse is uiltimately responsible for any error they make. I used to be certified to administer meds years ago when I was an aide working in psych. Eventually, they took that cert away because we were making way too many errors. There were some aides that would over medicate the troublesome clients, for example, or not doing treatments.

I would look a see how it works out snce you are really satisfied with this job, and be sure that you are on top of them in case mistakes are made. I think I remember hearing that if you respond and do something about the person that made the mistake, it is better than ignoring the act and letting it continue.

[kat7ap]

When I lived in Texas we had "Medication Aides" or "CMA". Basically just CNA's with experience and short certification course. We had the opportunity in nursing school after we finished pharmacology, to apply for the certification so we could work as a Med Aide while we finished up school.

Med Aides seem to be widely used in Texas in LTC. At my first job in a nursing home, my particular floor did not utilize Med Aides on a regular basis. I had 20 residents and other floors with Med Aides, the nurse would have about 35 residents. I was actually glad to be able to do my own meds. That way I was able to interact with each of the residents daily and I just felt better knowing that I was giving them their meds and could see for myself how they were doing. The Med Aides could give narcs even PRNs (but I think they were supposed to check with the nurse first). They could not give Coumadin, no injections, and nothing but PO meds.

From what I understand is that you are not responsible if the Med Aide/Tech gives the wrong drug, dose or whatever, but you ARE ultimately responsible for the pt/resident if there are any adverse affects not to mention YOU have to call the doctor and do all the paper work if something happens.

[linzz]

I have not heard of any skilled nursing facility here using med techs but they are used in some retirement homes. I don't know what restrictions they have on what meds they can pass. Our hospitals don't use any techs and many are even doing away with LPN's or only using them on a casual basis.

[TheCommuter]

My facility in Texas has been using medication aides for years. Since I do not like to pass pills, I actually like working with med aides. They enable me to focus on other tasks such as breathing treatments, wound care, g-tubes, blood glucose monitoring, family member complaints, and charting.

[marryweather]

I worked with a med tech when i was working at a facility for develpmentally and physically disabled individuals. It was the first time I've ever worked with a med tech and wasn't very comfortable with it. I handled it by following her at different periods of the day and watching her. Turns out I was very lucky she was good at what she did and she was a big help for me. Different facilities have different policies about what they allow their med techs to do. Because I had patients with tubes and patients with out I had two carts one for my tubes and one for po patients. We both passed meds together she would take the tube cart on one med pass and I would take the po and then when it was time for the 1200 and 1400 med pass we would switch. After all med passes were done I would go through the MARS looking for holes. She would also go through the med cart daily and remove any out dated medications and pull labels for medications that needed to be reordered which freed me up to do my treatments and my charting. I was fortunate that I had a very competant med tech.

[bluegeegoo2]

I work in a privately owned LTC center in S. Indiana, and we have TONS of CMA's. We are the exception rather than the rule. I'm not sure how long their training is, but after classroom training they have to have 40 hrs of verifiable med pass experience before they can test and be certified. They are tested by the State of Indiana and have a rep. from the state proctor the test. They are responsible for their own errors, but like mentioned above, the patients' well-being is my responsibility. They can give meds p.o. or by tube. They have to get an O.K. from me before giving a narc, and I have to initial behind them that I O.K.'d it. They can also do some tx's. Unfortunately, I work 3rd's, and therefore rarely have the benefit of a CMA. I enjoy having them b/c they "do" my tx books and I&O's, which frees me up for other things. I would likely be leery, though, if they only had 3 days of training. In fact, that would scare me to death!

[TCJan]

I work with Medical Techs in a Hospital. I think the Board of Nursing across our nation is either being very non protective of the patients lives or they are being paid off to look the other way! I went to school for 12 months to obtain my LPN. We had 3 months of Pharmacology. WE were trained on the units with instructor supervision as well, in regards to medications. Most hospitals I began working in after graduating, also had me as a LPN go through their pharmacology class. Experience also teaches if you want to learn more. I am amazed that we are standing by watching the healthcare system go down the tubes. Nurses need to speak out about these practices that are being done by for profit facilities or we will soon be out of jobs, by people they can hire off the street and teach what we know in 3 days. Report these facilities to your board of nurses if you want job security. Healthcare has developed into a heirarchy with CEO nurses making the big bucks and the CNA's doing the work of licenced nurses......It's coming and you better speak out now or forever hold your peace when all the jobs are gone!

[bluegeegoo2]

Good point! I misspoke in my earlier reply. We have QMA's, not CMA's. There is a difference, and I apologize for the discrepency.

[pagandeva2000]

Originally Posted by bluegeegoo2

Good point! I misspoke in my earlier reply. We have QMA's, not CMA's. There is a difference, and I apologize for the discrepency.

What is a QMA?