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| No. 100 | 
Aug 28, 2008, 02:42 PM
 Re: Should medication aides exist? Originally Posted by Stanley-RN2B  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...
This statistic is from the Institute of Medicine. I am not throwing around the large number of "errors". As my very last post clearly states, these are "injuries". As far as i am concerned, all these injuries were perpetrated by actual nurses. After all, the 800,000 committed in LTC are out of 1.5 million. If doctors and nurses can generate this many medication related injuries, just imagine the numbers those with 4 days of training could attain.
How many errors are prevented by having more people passing fewer meds? That may sound like a logical question to someone that is not a nurse. When i gave meds to 35 patients, most of which were polypharmacy, the 35th patient received the same educated care that the 1st one received. This is not a baseball game. Though we do get tired, it is not like on the 30th patient we start making a bunch of mistakes and have to call in a relief pitcher. We can still read the MAR (that is the document where the medications are listed for each patient), the meds, and perform assessments. I would rather have a super-tired nurse take care of me than an individual with 4 days of training any day. If you have read this thread, then you have read a few med aides themselves say that it is a dangerous concept.
If you have decided to become a med aide yourself ( 4 days is surely better than years of intense training and for the same job!), then i apologize if this thread has offended you.
When i went from a CNA to an LPN, i couldnt believe the abyss of difference in knowledge. (My CNA course was longer that the med aide course.) The only way to actually understand the magnificent difference between nurse and aide, it to have been both. So i will wait for you to understand.   | | Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 101 |
Aug 28, 2008, 09:12 PM
Re: Should medication aides exist? Originally Posted by NRSKarenRN 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....
Know of a place- census 200- 4 units with 50 residents each- one med aide each unit.
Yes, they probably average 10 meds apiece. 500 meds am pass.
Plus, med aides have been assigned accuchecks, insulin administration, rt treatments and stage 1 treatments.
Due to the work load- administration has changed the medication times. Instead of 0800, 0900, 1200, etc, med passes are now a.m., noon, p.m., and h.s.
So, as long as resident gets a.m. meds after 0530 and before 1145, they are considered in compliance.!!!!!!
Nursing staff have pretty much given up.
When I registered my shock- was informed by Admin that the average joe takes his medicine like this-general times, and since it is their home it should be less regimented.
State run facility.
Yep- they are quickly running out of nurses, and rely on med aides.
| | No. 102 |
Sep 01, 2008, 09:40 PM
Re: Should medication aides exist? Originally Posted by Nurse4years Know of a place- census 200- 4 units with 50 residents each- one med aide each unit.
Yes, they probably average 10 meds apiece. 500 meds am pass.
Plus, med aides have been assigned accuchecks, insulin administration, rt treatments and stage 1 treatments.
Due to the work load- administration has changed the medication times. Instead of 0800, 0900, 1200, etc, med passes are now a.m., noon, p.m., and h.s.
So, as long as resident gets a.m. meds after 0530 and before 1145, they are considered in compliance.!!!!!!
Nursing staff have pretty much given up.
When I registered my shock- was informed by Admin that the average joe takes his medicine like this-general times, and since it is their home it should be less regimented.
State run facility.
Yep- they are quickly running out of nurses, and rely on med aides.
Of course the nurses gave up. I can't believe even the med aides put up with that!  | | No. 103 |
Sep 02, 2008, 12:30 AM
Re: Should medication aides exist? Originally Posted by withasmilelpn Of course the nurses gave up. I can't believe even the med aides put up with that!
Since when does unlicensed aides administer insulin, do sterile dressing changes, etc. These, along with medication administration, are professional duties of licensed nurses.
Folks, wake up!! The PTB are slowly, but surely, deskilling the entire professional practice of nursing!! If we don't take charge of our profession, we will not have a profession to fight for. I have said it before, and I will say it again. We need to increase our entry into practice for RNs and LPNs. The public is not fighting this because they do not see the difference between professional nurses and unlicensed personnel. There is not enough education time to make it seem like there really is a difference. And nurses are hamstung not having workplace protection to make a big enough stink to educate the public.
PTs, OTs all increased their educational requirements. They are not having their professional practice deskilled, are they? They fight tooth and nail to keep their practice to themselves. Why aren't nurses doing the same thing? Wake up and smell the coffee.
Lindarn, RN, BSN ,CCRN
Spokane, Washington
| | No. 106 |
Sep 04, 2008, 08:01 PM
Re: Should medication aides exist? Originally Posted by BradleyRN When i went from a CNA to an LPN, i couldnt believe the abyss of difference in knowledge. (My CNA course was longer that the med aide course.) The only way to actually understand the magnificent difference between nurse and aide, it to have been both. So i will wait for you to understand.
I am in no way offended...
I just wanted to know why the actual numbers in existence show med aides making less errors.
I also would not want a med aide in a hospital but in many LTC facilities I know for a fact that nurses are running just to get the meds passed and treatments done and charting done and every little thing the aides need done...
I know they make errors because I've seen them. I've also seen med techs make errors. I've also seen doctors that cut off the wrong leg after tons more school than RN's...
Like i stated earlier, here med techs only pass meds in assisted living where residents are supposed to be able to take them themselves. I still can't see anything wrong with that. Virginia does not allow med aides in nursing facilities however.
That's all. You have not offended me at all. I am only a med aide to have practice passing meds and to learn more meds. I am still going to school as I would rather be an RN than a CNA, Med Aide or LPN... | | No. 107 |
Sep 04, 2008, 09:08 PM
Re: Should medication aides exist?
Thank you for the websites - they were helpful. Obviously, I do not know enough to make a definitive answer on why I do not agree with med. aides, but I know that I would never want myself or my family to be given meds by an aide. I feel that medications are a huge responsibility - before and after the med(s) is given. There is just so much to know, and even coming out of nursing school - I know it is going to be overwhelming. I think that medication aides are not getting to the root of the problem - we need more nurses, we need more seats in schools, etc. We need to get more nurses in LTC. I know as a CNA I did not have the knowledge base needed. Things that I learned in nursing school are making things clear - important things - that should have been emphasized and taught to me as CNA. Ok, I am just rambling.
There needs to be more studies done about medication aides and how they are helping our system and how they are hindering it.
| | No. 108 |
Sep 05, 2008, 05:58 AM
Re: Should medication aides exist?
One of my best friends, a retired nurse, had her 90 some year old mother in an Assisted Living Facility. When she inquired if someone could supervise her mothers medications as sometimes her mom forgot to take them. Her mom at that time was taking 3 medications a day. She was quoted $1000.00 a month to have someone check her moms medications. Let me tell you she was flaberglasted. When we discussed this, and how was it possible they could charge so much. My comment was, you are paying for that person's liability in the giving of those medications. Well, my friend made a point of driving daily first thing in the morning to supervise her mother taking her morning meds, and then she would drive or before bedtime for the same thing.
I do not believe this facility had medication aides, as I had never heard of a medication aide until I read about them on this web site. It sure might have saved my friend in this individual case.
| | No. 109 |
Sep 05, 2008, 12:09 PM
Re: Should medication aides exist?
Did the facility have med aides or a nurse on staff that gave meds out to other patients? Doing the math, it seems like they paid that person about $33/hr to do that function. I'm sure as well that if it was a nurse, they would be responsible for monitoring the medicines effects, paperwork, etc.
3 meds don't sound like much, but as people get older and sicker that tends to grow. Did your friend look into hiring someone on her own? Regardless of how Medication aides may save money, I don't think they are qualified to adminster meds in a facility setting. One on one at home, yes within reason. But only one patient. The more factors you put into the mix, (more patient's, more distractions...), the more likely a med error. And it seems like the trend is to abuse these poor med aides by piling on more and more patients and duties. I don't think they have the education to realize how truly unsafe what they do is. But I am sure the trend will continue, unfortunately.
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