needing a prescription for vaseline??

[lalalalexi]

So I was working overnight a few nights ago and one of my patients was complaining of her lips being dry and she really wanted some vaseline. I told her we have chapstick stocked on the floor, and asked if she would be ok with that. She said no, she hates chapstick, she really really needs vaseline. I have seen packets of petroleum jelly on various occasions in other patient's rooms and assumed all I needed to do was call our central supply. I call them and they said all have is lubricant jelly and maybe I should try to call pharmacy. I called pharmacy and they inform me that yes, indeed, they do have petroleum jelly and they will gladly tube some up to me IF I HAVE A DOCTOR'S ORDER FOR IT! I was floored. Since when is this considered a medication? It was about 1am and the patient of course had the grumpiest/most unpleasant doctor out of all of them and I was like "am I really going to call this guy at 1am for vaseline??". Thankfully another nurse needed to call him for something else but I just wanted to rant a little and say how stupid I thought this was. Anyone else find that they are made to get orders for things that should probably be a nursing judgment call? We are also required to get an order for heat packs...

[PunkyBrewster57]

We can override Vaseline but I can't get chap stick without an order, I guess they want their $1.00 for the chap stick!

[Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN]

We have small tubes of it in the pyxis, but it will be charged to the patient of course. Probably like $8, lol

[RockinChick66]

Petroleum jelly is flammable with O2 from what I've been told and have read.

[PNP4KIDZ, BSN, RN]

There has been some evidence that there can be combustion with oxygen administration (more high-pressure) and petroleum based products. Although the risk is low, that is probably one of the many reasons they want a prescription. I agree that sometimes, hospitals cam go a little too far on some things.

[JSlovex2]

if that's true then they shouldn't have vaseline readily available in the supply room along with socks, toothbrushes, etc. when a patient has really dry lips i always grab a tube of vaseline and put it on without a second thought.

[purse]

at my job people need freaking orders for EVERYTHING, coughdrops, vicks vabor rub, all the little stupid stuff, that pharmacy is probably making bank off their 6 dollar bags of cough drops that are usually a 1.00

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Welcome to what we deal with in LTC. You like to suck on cotgh drops like Ludens because you have a dry mouth...you need an order for it. You like to use vick vapor rub because you are stuffy...you need an order for it. Family wants mom to have a can of ensure...you need an order for it.

I would have and have written verbal orders for things like this and would never bother the doc for vasaline.

Most often I would ask the family if they would want to bring it in and supply it for like a $1 rather than order it from pharmacy.

Again...this is LTC

[PNP4KIDZ, BSN, RN]

I agree! They should have standing orders for patients then, unless there is some reason they can't have something as basic as Vaseline. And, I agree that many products should be readily available.

[purse]

I just dont understand why the doctors cant just have standing orders for that stuff upon admission PRN...they always have tylenol every 4 hours standard prn...BUT COUGH DROPS and VASELINE!?!?! need orders..***.

[MunoRN, RN]

I totally disagree about it being an order.But in response to your question, on the fluke side that maybe, just maybe your patient was allergic to something in vaseline and turned out bad. You WILL be in for a very rough ride.

You're responsible for checking something against the patient's allergies whether or not it requires an order. Where I work we don't need an order for lidocaine jelly with a foley insertion, but we are still responsible for checking lidocaine against the patient's allergy list.