Prescribing without a license?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

One of my fellow co-workers called out sick the other day. The supervisor requested to know what he was sick with. He told her diarrhea and suspected food-borne illness. She told him to take two Immodium and then he would be able to come in later in the shift.

Huh? Isn't this prescribing without a license? I see this as evidence that our current supervisor is incompetent. Any thoughts?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I don't like the approach at all. The person should have been allowed to call in sick for the whole day, without questions asked.

However, I disagree with you. The Sup is not prescribing medications. The Super is only offering medical advice which Americans do often, probably too often. The person calling in could take it or leave it.

I recently got a cold and got tons of advice from people at work and otherwise.

Where the super is being incompetent is that the worker might have passed some infectious process to patients and other coworkers.

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tweety, i would have to quibble with you on this one, if you take the OP literally, he was TOLD to take two Immodium, not suggested.....were i come from, the super isnt even entitle to ask WHY you are calling out sick

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Specializes in TCU, LTC.

Immodium is non-prescription, anyways. Do you need a script everytime you give your kid or friend some Tylenol?

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

This is petty. If the employee went to the supervisor for the condition (like a doctor patient relationship)and then she told him to take the immodium then yes, she would be giving out a RX w/o a license. Are we practicing w/o a license every time we give our children medication or recommend to our families which OTC headache medication to take:uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3:. I'm not saying that this person was calling in for a bunk reason, but after being a staffing nurse for many years ..there is only so many excuses one can make to get out of work. It is amazing how many times people have called in with cramps and I have told them to get some Ibuprofen and come to work. It is not long before the illness magically clears up. So I can understand the supervisors view. However, saying that you tend to get to know the people that like to pull a fast one and the ones that have legit reason for being absent . If he had diarrhea he had no business at work so don't take my post the wrong way. I'm just saying I understand why the supervisor reacted the way she did.

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With the norovirus running rampant these days, anyone with upset stomach has to stay home for minimum 48 hours where I work, and they call to check on you too.

A few weeks ago, a resident MD. came down with it. He was sitting in a chair in the nurses station, pretty pale and green poor guy. I asked what was wrong and he said gastroenteritis. He just looked so sad and sick. He then asked me what he should take for it and what he should do! After reminding him that he is a doctor, I suggested he LEAVE he wouldn't, so I gave him some of my immodium and told him to drink gatorade mixed with 7-Up (told him that's what I give my kids when they get it). I don't think I was prescribing without a license. He didn't have to take the immodium and I told him that I was acting on maternal instinct lol

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You need to be really careful and reason through exactly *why* that person should get Immodium in the first place. For example, it would be contraindicated for someone shedding virii/bacteria through their GI because their GI needs to get rid of this junk. Otherwise you have bigger problems with a larger "cesspool" of it inside them causing them more grave problems when all the body really needs to do is expel it in the first place.

I'm not a great fan of Immodium in many circumstances for this reason.

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oh I hear you, but he wouldn't leave and couldn't keep running to the bathroom during deliveries etc. I told him to just go home and I think eventually he did. The point I was trying to make was that he asked me what he could take and i told him what I do for my kids and I had the immodium in my bag and offered it to him.

As for the OP, I think the supe. was wrong and should have let the worker stay home, as the stomach thing is rampant and highly contagious.

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Specializes in TCU, LTC.

This is totally petty. Mountain out of a molehill. Is the OP looking for ammo in a personal vendetta against the supervisor?

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I feel strongly that the supervisor was in a position of authority and gave specific instructions which could have made the condition worse. I agree that friend to friend suggestions are reasonable but I feel this is a different situation because the supervisor holds the power.

BTW, the nurse took the Immodium and came to work late. Who is protecting the patients?

PS-I don't even know which supervisor was involved. It didn't matter to me.

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Cooper,

Sorry, the "you" was meant in general. I totally understand your motive, the poor guy!

IMBC

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Cooper,

Sorry, the "you" was meant in general. I totally understand your motive, the poor guy!

IMBC

Cool! :)

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