Nursing and Prescription Authority

Nurses General Nursing

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It's been my understanding that nurses are not allowed to give medicines with active ingredients in them to patients without an order from a licensed prescriber. (MD, DO, NP, PA, CNS.) That's all fine and well, but does this rule also apply to off duty nurses? I've read stories where nurses get into trouble for giving their family, friends, and acquaintances OTC medicines as simple as Tylenol or Advil. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anything my doctor hasn't OK'd to the nurse administering it, but I'm referring to off duty nurses giving family and friends OTC medicines. The same medicines they, the laypeople, could get themselves without a doctor's order. Is a nurse really prohibited from giving medicines to friends, when laypeople, themselves, can do so as freely as they please?

Thanks to all who help clear this up for me.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Here is your 1st thread on dealing with Prescriptive Authority. I think you'll find your answer there:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/nurse-independent-prescriber-433508.html

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Yes, didn't we already discuss this to death? :)

There's a big (but subtle) difference between someone choosing, on their own, to take an OTC medication, and a licensed nurse recommending that someone take a particular medication (even an OTC). A licensed nurse has responsibilities (because of the education and license) above and beyond members of the general public, and your license is in force 24/7, regardless of whether or not you're at work (because your license is independent of your job). A licensed nurse can be held accountable, legally, for advice given and medications recommended (at any time and in any setting) and, technically, telling someone they should take a particular OTC medication for a particular set of sxs is prescribing and outside your professional scope of practice.

My non-nurse friends always laugh, because they'll ask my advice about sxs they have and what they should take or do, and I always bend over backwards to carefully phrase my response (even to close friends, and I don't give advice at all to anyone else) -- It's outside the scope of my practice to diagnose or prescribe, but, if it were me having those same symptoms, here's what I would do for myself, but I'm not suggesting that's necessarily what you should do, it's entirely up to you whether you choose to try that, and, in any case, if your sxs aren't resolved or, at least, clearly getting better, in the next few days, you should definitely see your physician or whomever you see regularly ...

One of the things it's sometimes hard for newcomers to healthcare to grasp is the level of responsibility and accountability, 24/7, that goes with having a license.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.
...and I always bend over backwards to carefully phrase my response (even to close friends, and I don't give advice at all to anyone else) -- It's outside the scope of my practice to diagnose or prescribe, but, if it were me having those same symptoms, here's what I would do for myself, but I'm not suggesting that's necessarily what you should do, it's entirely up to you whether you choose to try that, and, in any case, if your sxs aren't resolved or, at least, clearly getting better, in the next few days, you should definitely see your physician or whomever you see regularly ...

:yeahthat:

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
:yeahthat:

Unfortunate we have to do this, but this is exactly what I say.

:icon_roll

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Unfortunate we have to do this, but this is exactly what I say.

:icon_roll

Why "unfortunate"? It's the responsibility that goes with the license. I think it's perfectly reasonable. (IMHO, far too many nurses just spout off without thinking through the possible consequences of their actions -- I'm thinking particularly of one nurse I used to know who, on the basis of just the sketchiest description of someone's symptoms, would v. confidently pronouce, "Oh, you have X and you should take Y for it," like she knew everything and this was the final word on the topic. I used to half-hope that karma would eventually catch up with her on this ...)

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

How I respond really depends upon who the individual is and what their s/s are. For example, if it's one of my adult children with s/s of a cold, I am a Mom first, and I will take them a care package of chicken soup, herbal tea, and OTC cold medicine. I really don't worry about my nursing license in this type of situation.

If, however, it is an acquaintance describing s/s of something that needs a medical diagnosis, then I recommend that they see a physician.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

or recommend a pharmacist for OTC meds. ANYONE can sue, even family

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Specializes in CCU & CTICU.

My family has the sense when to take tylenol for their routine aches and pains, they don't need me to tell them.

For anything unusal, out of the ordinary or exacerbated, I tell everyone to call their PCP.

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Specializes in ER, LTC, IHS.

If one of my friends is at my house and tells me she has a headache and can I give her a Tylenol I'll give her the dang Tylenol and I will dare anyone to PROVE to me that this is wrong.

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If one of my friends is at my house and tells me she has a headache and can I give her a Tylenol I'll give her the dang Tylenol and I will dare anyone to PROVE to me that this is wrong.

No one here is going to try to "PROVE" anything to you -- everyone is free to make their own choices about what they're comfortable with.

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Specializes in ER, LTC, IHS.
No one here is going to try to "PROVE" anything to you -- everyone is free to make their own choices about what they're comfortable with.

And all I meant was alot of people give advice or opinions on here without any basis of proof behind it so if your going to tell me it's wrong I want to see the documentation that says it is that's all.

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