UnBELEEEEVABLE

RN-PA, RN · Mar 13, 2004

We're supposed to be getting Pyxis at our hospital in May and I was told it was only for Narcotics. We're all looking forward to not having to do narc counts evry 8 hours, but I really can't imagine what the system will be like or how it'll work.

cannoli · Mar 13, 2004

At my hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina (on the eastern side of the state), the administrators have just installed the new Pyxis System (all this without even consulting the nurses OF COURSE). To say this new system is a disaster, is putting it very mildly. Now, if you even want ONE alcohol swipe or a small tube of doppler jelly, you have to select the patient's name and then punch in for EACH one you take!!!! In one of the machines, there are even individual disposable cups!!! While up on the unit, there was a code. Literally, supplies could not be found. As we all know, seconds count in a code and you don't have time to be scurrying around hunting down scarce supplies and typing in information into a tempermental machine. Suddenly, it seems as bad as a third world country around the hospital. I keep my OWN vacutainer and my OWN tourniquet for drawing labs on my person at all times.... because new ones simply CANNOT be found!!! Infection control has been a BIG issue at this hospital... 43% post-surgery infection rate!!! Been in the news and in the newspaper, and the administration is trying to "educate" staff about proper infection control. Now, if you can't find proper supplies for asepsis (not EVEN an alcohol pad to wipe off your stethoscope after each patient visit) and have to keep reusing supplies that are supposed to be used once... how is this going to help the infection problem??? Our hospital is also having a TERRIBLE time retaining nurses... Units are having to close down beds to sick patients simply because there are not enough nurses. Some units are 50% travelers... Now the moral is SOOO LOW and nurses are SO PI$$$ED OFF
Forgive me for ranting, just have to vent:o

Maybe someone should drop a dime (now it's 35 cents?) anonymously to the state dept. of health or OSHA or whoever may be interested.

cannoli · Mar 13, 2004

I just noticed, the original post is a year and a half old.

hock1 · Mar 13, 2004

At my hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina (on the eastern side of the state), the administrators have just installed the new Pyxis System (all this without even consulting the nurses OF COURSE). To say this new system is a disaster, is putting it very mildly. Now, if you even want ONE alcohol swipe or a small tube of doppler jelly, you have to select the patient's name and then punch in for EACH one you take!!!! In one of the machines, there are even individual disposable cups!!! While up on the unit, there was a code. Literally, supplies could not be found. As we all know, seconds count in a code and you don't have time to be scurrying around hunting down scarce supplies and typing in information into a tempermental machine. Suddenly, it seems as bad as a third world country around the hospital. I keep my OWN vacutainer and my OWN tourniquet for drawing labs on my person at all times.... because new ones simply CANNOT be found!!! Infection control has been a BIG issue at this hospital... 43% post-surgery infection rate!!! Been in the news and in the newspaper, and the administration is trying to "educate" staff about proper infection control. Now, if you can't find proper supplies for asepsis (not EVEN an alcohol pad to wipe off your stethoscope after each patient visit) and have to keep reusing supplies that are supposed to be used once... how is this going to help the infection problem??? Our hospital is also having a TERRIBLE time retaining nurses... Units are having to close down beds to sick patients simply because there are not enough nurses. Some units are 50% travelers... Now the moral is SOOO LOW and nurses are SO PI$$$ED OFF
Forgive me for ranting, just have to vent:o

This is the way patients are charged per swab etc. When I was hospitalized, I asked for an itemized bill. I was charged $8.50 per Motrin. Jeeze, I can buy a whole bottle for that! I believe entries per item are logged that way for billing purposes. They know exactly how many boxes of tissue each patient uses. If it causes safety issues it should be changed immediatley. Unfortunatly, hospitals are big business and will not stay open unless profitable. We nurses need to make sure safety is never compromised.

Joules · Mar 13, 2004

To PCMH for posting this. I was very agnry at the time, way over a year ago. Things are better now. Supplies are at hand when we need them fast, even tho the Pyxis is still a pain!

PEACE!

**Joules**

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2004

To PCMH for posting this. I was very agnry at the time, way over a year ago. Things are better now. Supplies are at hand when we need them fast, even tho the Pyxis is still a pain!
PEACE!
**Joules**

Glad to hear things are better. Didn't look at the date. Glad you're still around to clarify. :)

TracyB,RN, RN · Mar 14, 2004

I am laughing at this, partly b/c the OP was so long ago, & partly b/c I have a love/hate relationship with our Pyxis. We have one for meds & one for supplies. The med one is ok, but the supply Pyxis, HA HA HA HA. It leaves alot to be desired. We pull floor stock from it, but it is poorly organized. I would think that it would be sooo much easier to keep it in some kind of order like dressing supplies in one spot, IV kits & Insytes together, hygiene items together, etc, etc, etc. And things are never in the search system under the "real" name of the item you are searching for. STUPID!!! Can't forget that our supply Pyxis is out of what we need half the time, b/c the count says we have 6, but it's empty. MORE STUPID!!!!!!

4 x 4's in one door, tape in another door, Abd's in yet another drawer. Such waste, even with the Pyxis, let's open a 1L bottle of NSS, that nobody bothers to date, to clean an incision site, leave it at bedside, then find 2 or more open bottles, none dated of course..... UUUGGGHHH!!!!!!

nell · Mar 14, 2004

Glad things are going better, Joules. We are now where you were then. Unfortunately, there was little staff input - actually, it sounds like they only consulted one person, who is unknown. It was sprung on the rest of us.

In her inservice, the rep said that nurses were "pilfering" - her very word, and she was overall very condescending. The inservice also left out a lot of info we are having to learn the hard way - while taking care of our patients.

We are missing several critical supplies and have some of the wrong type (we use some very specific things in the NICU). These issues will most likely be ironed out, however there are other problems in that we need to be set up for our patients before we know who they are or what they will require. When we are slow, it could be a week before the supplies on a set-up bed are used, but it's got to be ready to go at all times.

Also, they screwed up and we have different supplies in different parts of the unit and so can't just open the machine and grab what we need in a hurry (pushing the appropriate "take" buttons of course). This is a critical care unit and seconds count. When we get a really sick kid, there isn't enough time to do what we have to do as it is (was).

Admin has also gone overboard in that every chux, bottle of formula (although we have to remember that some formula is by the box...) and even each biohazard bag for specimens must be accounted for. Maybe some of this stuff will change and more will be "floor stock" and not have to be individually removed for each patient.

Originally, our manager said there would be nothing at the bedside. At least she has back-tracked on this some. I was ready to look for another job. If there aren't alcohol swabs, syringes and 2x2s at the bedside, I don't want to work there.

A NICU is a combination baby ER/baby ICU and our patients are very fragile and without reserves. When they are sick, everything is NOW, NOW, NOW.

nell