Should medication aides exist?

I have never worked in anything other than a hospital so I have no first hand experience working with a medication aide.

As I read some of the posts it did get me to recalling when I first started my career I was not familiar with every medication I saw on a patient's MAR. I had to refer to either the PDR, or Nurse Drug Handbook.

While in school we memorized the most common medications expected to be given the cardiacs, antihypertensives etc, etc. It was a base simply that. Becoming familiar with name, dosages, usuage, potential side effects, nursing alerts have been an on going education sometimes daily as more and more new drugs are being put on the market.

my hypothesis to this: as with anyone we educate on an on going basis, give them the tools they need to perform their jobs. Show them where the resources can be found. Assist the individual not judge the title.

As an LPN, I am not particularly feeling threatened. I can make a case either way for the use of a medication aide. Its the individual who can make or break someone's impression of a particular title, not always just the title alone..

Look at how many RN's ( not all just a few) feel we LPN's have no place in the hospital setting.

I definitely agree that some medication aides are more than capable of performing the duties effectively....The problem is that there is no system to ensure they are taught properly the importance of knowing what they are giving and why and what it can do......They are not taught things like if it doesn't look or sound right it probably isn't...it is okay to question the pharmacy or the Dr....you might save a life....(just recently it was noticed that the pharmacy had packaged up Vicodin and labeled it as potassium and it went unnoticed for 2 weeks...This could have had VERY bad effects though luckily it didn't. Med allergy, plummeting K+ levels..)Through the incredible difficult schooling process I saw several people who I wouldn't trust with my enemies get weeded out because they did not have the common sense, logic or attention to detail required....med aides have no process to make sure they are safe...often they are thrown into the slot out of desperation to fill gaps in the schedule as they are just as understaffed as everyone else in the medical field if not more so because the pay is worse. In California when I was a med aide I did not even have to be a CNA I was a young kid who "fell" into the career of geriatric care and happened to fall in love with it and the field of nursing but by no means was I "qualified" for the amount of responsibility I was giving. Only my passion for the field and my patients ensured the safety of all involved though I caught MANY errors by other med aides that were often swept under the rug because well who else is gonna fill the slot?

Kara

There WAS a day when patients had less than 5 medications daily.

Today average patient discharged from a SNF to homecare has over TEN oral meds with multiple admin times.....been tracking this issue at my agency.

Ten meds x 25 patients typical SNF unit = over 250 meds in ONE AM med pass....

I think it's ok as long as they have had sufficient training. Also, that they get payed more than a CNA, $12./hr or more. I've worked with a med aide in TX (I didn't know they only had 10 hrs training!) and they couldn't give injections, only PO meds. It was still a big help to me. I've worked in LTC and had 60 pts to give meds, tube feedings and change dressing for. I had no help giving meds. I rushed around all shift trying to get done. This was in PA. If I'd only had a med aide to give helf the floor, it'd make a great difference. I stress again, when they have had proper training in the clsassroom and adequate clinicals.

I support medication aides.

Bradley, I respect your study, but if somehow you are equating that study must then mean med errors never happen in a hospital because only license people give out medications.

I welcome you to come sit in the monthly meeting of our system in which errors are discussed and determination is made if they are nursing process errors, versus systems errors.

We were taught 6 rights in school

right drug
right dose
right route
ritght time
right patient
right documentation

I like right qualification too.

But how many of those are caused by nurses vs. Med aides? Every throws around the large number of errors but always fails to indicate which were caused by nurses.

Plus, how many errors are PREVENTED due to more people on the florr passing fewer meds...