Certified Medication Technician - Page 4

Register Today!
  1. May 19, '05 by
    no need for med techs
  2. May 19, '05 by
    Quote from nicolel1182
    i learned more in my medication aide class that i took for 6 months...then I learned in my pharm class at nursing school

    Wow! You learned more in a med aide class that in pharm in nursing school??????? I don't know about you, but I learned a ton in pharm...

    2 things about this subject:

    1. I will never allow someone else to give meds to my pts unless they are a fellow RN that I trust and know

    2. I, as a pt, will not allow a med to be given to me unless it is by a nurse.
  3. May 19, '05 by
    Quote from NurseFirst
    Nicole #2; giving insulin is not, by any means, a slam dunk. That is why nurses in most places are trained to check the insulin we draw up with another licensed personnel. In my nursing classes, we learned "Did I kill him" to remember the 4 drugs that can be particularly dangerous: digoxin, insulin, K+, heparin if given incorrectly (and, especially, without checking labs!!!)

    NurseFirst
    Remember, I'm still learning. I'm not even IN the Nursing program yet, so I have a LOT to learn yet. I guess by knowing a family member with diabetes (hyperglycemia), it SEEMS easy. Some people don't know a thing about blood sugar, but I know when mine gets too low. I have mild hypoglycemia (what I mean by that is that it's not an everyday problem for me. I only drop low when I haven't eaten and I've learned that by snacking throughout the day, I can control it thanfully).

    I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't reffering to ALL medications. I may be clueless at times, but I'm not THAT clueless.
  4. May 19, '05 by
    well....we've had medication aides in the state of texas for years now, and havent had any problems. If they did, they wouldn't allow it anymore. If anybody wants to show me some research pointing out medication aide errors, then show me. Other wise I'm going to stand my ground saying that I'm a good medication aide.
    My unit has 46 people. How is one nurse going to pass all the meds, do treatments, peg tube feedings, assessments, call the doctors, and families and everything else and still look for side effects of the meds given. There just isn't enough time for them to do that. I give my meds, we watch our residents, the nurse reports any changes that anybody catches, and thats that. There has never been a problem. Don't flame me just because I have faith in the medication aide program and none of you agree with it.

    Im in nursing school right now...just finished my pharm class and it was terrible...what NurseFirst tried to quiz me on, we didn't learn in school...I would like to hear replies from people working in long term care about having medication aides...not hospitals, because med aides here in texas can not work in a hospital...
  5. Guide
    May 19, '05 by
    Quote from nicolel1182
    well....we've had medication aides in the state of texas for years now, and havent had any problems. If they did, they wouldn't allow it anymore. If anybody wants to show me some research pointing out medication aide errors, then show me. Other wise I'm going to stand my ground saying that I'm a good medication aide.
    My unit has 46 people. How is one nurse going to pass all the meds, do treatments, peg tube feedings, assessments, call the doctors, and families and everything else and still look for side effects of the meds given. There just isn't enough time for them to do that. I give my meds, we watch our residents, the nurse reports any changes that anybody catches, and thats that. There has never been a problem. Don't flame me just because I have faith in the medication aide program and none of you agree with it.

    Im in nursing school right now...just finished my pharm class and it was terrible...what NurseFirst tried to quiz me on, we didn't learn in school...I would like to hear replies from people working in long term care about having medication aides...not hospitals, because med aides here in texas can not work in a hospital...
    Mark my words.. when you have completed nursing school and are working, you will look at this matter with entirely new eyes. No, no, not now... I said when you have FINISHED nursing school and are working as a nurse..so save what you want to say to me NOW for for THEN. I know you don't believe that now... get back with me THEN.

    Two issues I have trouble with:
    1."How is one nurse going to pass all the meds, do treatments, peg tube feedings, assessments, call the doctors, and families and everything else and still look for side effects of the meds given. There just isn't enough time for them to do that."

    One nurse ISN'T able to do all that, and rather than jeopardize the safety of these victim-patients, the answer is for these money hungry institutions and facilities to HIRE MORE NURSES..but no ! "Medication aides will do nicely, thank you ! More $$ in OUR pockets", they say ! :angryfire

    2."I would like to hear replies from people working in long term care about having medication aides...not hospitals, because med aides here in texas can not work in a hospital."

    This in itself troubles me... if med aides are not good enough for hospitals, are the LTC patients then of a lesser caliber/quality.. less deserving of competent care or med administration? What does this say? LTC patients are somehow not as "important"? Is their quality of life less than that of an in-hospital patient? Would I be concerned if MY mother were in LTC with med aides? You bet !

    Sure, LTC is chronic and many of the meds have been given/taken for some time ...but that is not a good enough answer when it comes to somebody's mother/father/sister/brother who is trusting that the person administering the med is competent and knowledgable in ALL aspects of med administration.

    The reason it IS a "big deal" is because every LIFE is a big deal.
    MLMRN1120 likes this.
  6. May 19, '05 by
    ok, im going to address this issue as requested. i am sure you have read my past post on med aides but for those of you that havent... here i go. i am a lvn in texas that works as a med aide on the weekends and fill in as a nurse when needed. my other job is to do clinical rotations with student med aides. this is a minimal 10 hour requirment in texas that must be proctored. well now the good stuff... i spend a great deal of time shaking my head while on med pass with these people. i always quiz the students on what they are giving and ask them side effects , normal dosage blah blah blah.. i want to add here these are very common drugs ,most of them. out of the many i have done clinicals with only one could properly name the drugs. and that was is only half of the meds. lord have mercy, they have routine drugs like atenolol or nitro to give and i get answers like "i dont know what that is" or "is that a antibiotic". if you dont know what it is, you damn sure dont know to take the bp first. i laugh under my breath when they look in the narc box for the colace or in the routine meds for the methadone. so, i will stand by the fact that med aides are no where trained enough to unlock the med cart much less pass pills from it. it is true ,there is no way one nurse can handle all the patients and that is why i have been employed in my facility. i pass the pills and all is well.







    Quote from nicolel1182
    well....we've had medication aides in the state of texas for years now, and havent had any problems. if they did, they wouldn't allow it anymore. if anybody wants to show me some research pointing out medication aide errors, then show me. other wise i'm going to stand my ground saying that i'm a good medication aide.
    my unit has 46 people. how is one nurse going to pass all the meds, do treatments, peg tube feedings, assessments, call the doctors, and families and everything else and still look for side effects of the meds given. there just isn't enough time for them to do that. i give my meds, we watch our residents, the nurse reports any changes that anybody catches, and thats that. there has never been a problem. don't flame me just because i have faith in the medication aide program and none of you agree with it.

    im in nursing school right now...just finished my pharm class and it was terrible...what nursefirst tried to quiz me on, we didn't learn in school...i would like to hear replies from people working in long term care about having medication aides...not hospitals, because med aides here in texas can not work in a hospital...
  7. May 19, '05 by
    Quote from nicolel1182
    well....we've had medication aides in the state of texas for years now, and havent had any problems. if they did, they wouldn't allow it anymore. if anybody wants to show me some research pointing out medication aide errors, then show me. other wise i'm going to stand my ground saying that i'm a good medication aide.

    no one said you were a bad medication aide. we aren't arguing with how you do your job; we are arguing about whether the job category should exist; big difference. realize, too, that most medication aides are probably not knowledgeable enough to get into nursing school, so you are definitely a cut above.

    my unit has 46 people. how is one nurse going to pass all the meds, do treatments, peg tube feedings, assessments, call the doctors, and families and everything else and still look for side effects of the meds given. there just isn't enough time for them to do that. i give my meds, we watch our residents, the nurse reports any changes that anybody catches, and thats that. there has never been a problem. don't flame me just because i have faith in the medication aide program and none of you agree with it.

    in your hospital, on your shift, that you know about. it's probably not to anyone's advantage to advertise any possible problems. as they say: "lack of evidence is not evidence of lack (of problems)."

    im in nursing school right now...just finished my pharm class and it was terrible...what nursefirst tried to quiz me on, we didn't learn in school...i would like to hear replies from people working in long term care about having medication aides...not hospitals, because med aides here in texas can not work in a hospital...
    i don't know where you are in your nursing training, but i hope you have some more pharmacology stuck away in some of your other courses. is this an lpn/lvn program or an rn program?

    good luck to you, and keep up the good work.
  8. May 19, '05 by
    Alot of comments here are regarding the pharm course in school and how this makes nurses qualified to give meds. I did have a great pharm course back in '84, but if that is what I was falling back on to give meds in 2005, my patients would be in no better hands than they would be if a med tech passed their meds who had current knowlege. My point it, it is ongoing education that makes one competent to pass meds....not a pharm course in itself. Anyone who passes meds is only as good as their current knowlege, so the 20 year old pharm course is really not a great argument as far as why nurses should pass meds.
  9. May 19, '05 by
    Quote from sbic56
    Alot of comments here are regarding the pharm course in school and how this makes nurses qualified to give meds. I did have a great pharm course back in '84, but if that is what I was falling back on to give meds in 2005, my patients would be in no better hands than they would be if a med tech passed their meds who had current knowlege. My point it, it is ongoing education that makes one competent to pass meds....not a pharm course in itself. Anyone who passes meds is only as good as their current knowlege, so the 20 year old pharm course is really not a great argument as far as why nurses should pass meds.

    thank you - its all about the education behind the person passing the drugs..just because you are licensed or registered doesn't make you knowledgeable or smart in what you are doing? I bet I know a lot more about drugs that most of the nurses at the LTC place I work in....

    I am in LVN school....with only 6 months to go, and being a med aide I have been able to help a lot of students get thru the pharm course and thru clinicals. And when I graduate Im going to work in the same place I do now as a med aide....maybe I will feel differently about passing meds, and maybe I won't. If I feel I am working with a med aide that doesn't know what they are doing, they I will discuss it then with the DON.
  10. May 19, '05 by
    Quote from nicolel1182
    thank you - its all about the education behind the person passing the drugs..just because you are licensed or registered doesn't make you knowledgeable or smart in what you are doing? I bet I know a lot more about drugs that most of the nurses at the LTC place I work in....

    I am in LVN school....with only 6 months to go, and being a med aide I have been able to help a lot of students get thru the pharm course and thru clinicals. And when I graduate Im going to work in the same place I do now as a med aide....maybe I will feel differently about passing meds, and maybe I won't. If I feel I am working with a med aide that doesn't know what they are doing, they I will discuss it then with the DON.
    I doubt you'll feel differently about a competent med aide once you get your LPN, as you understand what's important; knowledge of the medication you are passing.

    I came back into psych nursing from OB after a 10 year hiatus and I certainly was learning from some of the med aides (also had mental health certifications) and LCSW's I work with. Sure, I educated myself further as well, but it would have been a huge mistake to not listen to those who had been accruing knowlege right along since I had been out of the loop. Symbiax, Geodon, Abilify, etc...all new to me, but not to those who were in the field already. I'd have been a fool not to take advantage of such a great resource.