UnBELEEEEVABLE

Flo1216 · Sep 17, 2002

OUr system sucks because supplies are never listed under what they actually are. They are usually under some obscure name that I would never even think of. It is very frustrating.

nimbex, RN · Sep 17, 2002

your situation raises some serious questions. In NY, we had the full pyxis, all supplies. You removed even gloves, they were charged to the patient and kept in the room, alcohol swabs too, a whole box of 4x4's. Now joint commission says only 24hr. worth of supplies can be kept in a room.

How can we charge a patient for multiple supplies, yet only 24 hrs. worth and keep up with the corporate compliance policies that demand accurate billing???!!!!! There seemed to be so much more waste as nurses horded supplies for the needed convienence which defeats the purpose of the pyxis!!!!

IN NC, my hospital is going to a scan system for supplies, you scan like a check out what you pull and charge to the patient. Meds only are in the pyxis.

When we instituted the med pyxis this past year, pharmacy implemented without nursing. BUT nursing demanded weekly meetings with pharmacy until all the kinks were worked out. Talk to your manager about meeting to resolve this ASAP. GOOD LUCK

In NC

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 18, 2002

Joules, you need to report this situation to Risk Management ASAP. Sounds like an incredibly anal situation, "penny-wise and pound-foolish" to the ultimate... putting pt's lives at risk. :( And yes, Joules, after what I have seen in health-care, this IS believable... I can sadly say that NOTHING suprises me anymore. What will the Suits come up with next:( ???????????????

talkall · Sep 22, 2002

sorry but being uk nhs based this all sounds like star treck we just have an locked dugs trolly and a store room. wish we had some of this cause at least i'd actually be able to find stuff:roll

Joules · Sep 22, 2002

Just want to say things are better now. Noticed on the unit that alcohol swabs are now in the drawers, along with some spare syringes, needles, and a few other odd supplies. Yes, we do have the medication Pyxis's (have had these for awhile) and I LOVE these. No problem (except on the rare occasion that a drawer "failed" and you had to recount the whole thing)--most of the time works great, and NO MORE qshiftly narcotic counts on the med carts. These new thing a majingies look like gaudy vending machines (like ones you would see at a chinsy county fair), with clear glass and little lights that blink when the glass doors aren't completely closed. You have to type in your name and password (which often DOESN'T WORK ), then select your patient, then the doors open so you can retrieve your supplies--punching a button under each category for each one you take. This is an incredibly burdensome system for nurses who are harried or in a code situation and yet ANOTHER source of frustration for the beleagured nurses at PCMH (as if morale couldn't get any lower). And I beg to differ, NSDRN, on THIS unit in the North Tower, until recently, EVERYTHING was locked up. At least now, I have quick, easy access to some BASIC supplies for asepsis and proper patient care and for this I am very grateful.:)

shodobe · Sep 22, 2002

We use "pyxis" and I find it a very good way of making sure patients get charged for meds. To have every little thing in there is totally insane. Why do you keep drugs in there that are used for codes? Don't you have a locked crash cart that can be accessed easily for emergencies? We use a combination door lock for a room that has all of the other things we might need such as syringes, needles, e-tubes, etc...... The door is pretty much open during shift hours and closed when we go home. Once you get use to the pyxis it's a snap to get drugs out, also the anesthesiologist can get their own narcs out for cases and they don't bother us unless it's an emergency. I would have patience with the system but get somebody in management to get the head out of their a*s and look around. Good luck, Mike

jode · Sep 22, 2002

I love like the pyxis system, but we are able to withdraw to floor stock entire boxes of syringes, alcohol wipes etc, and the patient charge items are obviously charged out to each individual patient. Central supply refills the pyxis twice a day, so we are never out of stock. Of course, you must remember to charge out the items, or cs doesn't know what needs restocking. The medication pyxis is also user friendly. Perhaps the hospital administration could use some suggestions.

nell · Mar 13, 2004

Thought I'd check allnurses for how others have coped with their Pyxis systems as we just got the supply pyxis installed. Incredibly enough, so much as a paper bag or a chux must be accounted for with a "take" button.

How about this: even the laryngoscopes have their own little drawer as do the ETT tubes. Did I mention this is a level III NICU?

nell

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2004

We have free access to most supplies as well. We use our Pyxis for medications only. Sheesh....

bellehill, RN · Mar 13, 2004

We have a meds only pyxis which I love, can't imagine having to get supplies out of pyxis. If we run out of something we call the supply department and usually have it in 30 minutes. Almost everything is considered floor stock and the patients don't get charged.

shodobe · Mar 13, 2004

We have used a Pyxis for about 3 years and there has been no problems. It is for meds only and all othere supplies are at hand. Ant place that has to put other supplies in a Pyxis has a problem with keeping tabs on where supplies are going. Patient safety issues come to mind also when certain things are not readily available when needed. We also have Pyxis in the OR rooms for anesthesia, so you don't have to run to the Med room to get them narcs. It took awhile to get use to but it worked out just fine. Keeps a close eye on waste and patients get charged properly for meds. Why does it take 30 minutes to get anything from your supply dept? Mike

orrnlori, RN · Mar 13, 2004

Ah, the bean counters, what was life like before them? Our pixis now also require our fingerprint scan as well as password. We can't get our scrubs for surgery unless we swipe our badge and get them from a machine called an "autovalet" (which patient's families see outside pre-op and continue to try and swipe their parking passes through to get validation ( :chuckle ). Now we clock in and out using our fingerprint on a reader that's two miles down the hall from our unit (I think they just need to implant a chip in our necks or put one of those ankle bracelets on us like they do for home incarceration, sure would be easier to track us that way).

Then to top it all off, they took all the general supplies from our OR. Need a Kerlex? Write out an order form, attach patient label, call nursing assistant, nursing assistant walks to other end of building, presents order form, CS gets item, prints out a receipt with patient name, item, and charge code, nursing assistant walks back to OR and give us the Kerlex. In the meantime the surgeon has already had a stroke and is bouncing off the OR walls.

Ah, the bean counters, where were we before they came to haunt our halls.