med carts/control freaks

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I could use a little feed back from you all.....I'm a full time day shift float in LTC-prior to starting the med pass I load up the med cart they way I want it with my pudding,assorted juices,water pitcher,steth,sphyg and thermometer etc...-when I'm through at the end of the day I clean it off,wipe it down,empty the trash and stock it....The problem is that some nurses on a particular unit are having a FIT because it is not arranged exactly like it was in the morning...We have 2 bins on the side that can be removed and we also have some plastic trays to hold cups.I really don't see the problem-sometimes I'll even push it back against the far wall in the med room instead of up against the wall to the left and that REALLY pushed the evening nurse's buttons( I did not bother to move it over after housekeeping cleaned the floor- what's the big deal?)'ll take the plastic trays and sit them on the counter because with 21 residents I don't see the need for 80 cups on top of the cart-especially since I usually knock alot of them off...God forbid I leave those trays on the counter at the end of the day! And the meds! Ours are dispensed in boxes-most units have the boxes arranged in the order that the med appears on the MAR which makes perfect sense to me-I'll put them in that order as I pour to help me check and double check as I go.....Apparently if I open a new box and we have another I have put it to the side of the drawer-this also pushes someone's buttons....I know how childish this sounds-believe me....I'm usually eating my lunch in the med room so I can get the heck out of there on time....As long as the cart,med room and nurse's station are clean what's the big darn deal? Can someone tell me? There is no MAP to the area-I really am not aware of any policy or protocol that tells me where to put the straws...You are all reasonable people-do you get into medcart wars at your facility? I feel that I am too busy WORKING to worry about stacking the cups to suit the evening nurse-and I'm feeling particularly passive aggressive....Like tomorrow maybe I'll just turn the freaking med cart UPSIDE DOWN.....I've worked acute care and had to share a med cart with 4 or 5 other nurses....Maybe I am a little more tolerant then some of these freaking miserable people I work with in LTC..argh..........So-what would you do? so what's the big deal? Who has lost their marbles?

Tell them to BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT!

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I have a question I work somewhere we share a cart. I do not feel comfortable and said something to the addmin yesterday. Is there a law against doing these?

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Actually, my issue isn't with my fellow full-time workers on other shifts; my issue is with the per-diem/float staff who don't take care with our "stuff"...the three of us who share the cart on a regular basis have a nice compromise system going on...the fill-in staff should work with things as they are, not move them all around to suit themselves for their one eight hour shift out of 2 months...:rolleyes:

I'm an agency nurse, and usually fix my med cart the way I like it and know where everything is before I begin my med-pass. I understand that you regular staff full-timers are possessive over your carts, but when I've been at the same facility for a few weeks and know the med-pass that I'm on, and know I'm going to admin a dozen pt's ASA, TYL, OsCal, Zantac, etc., I'm going to put them in the top drawer where I can get them fast and be efficient. Same with liquids like MOM or Lactulose. I do put them back where they were at the end of my shift, and always leave a clean, re-stocked med cart for the next nurse.

I actually enjoy the ritual of stocking the cart as I like it at the beginning of my shift, and cleaning and re-stocking it for the next shift. When you have a busy day, it's a bit of relaxation doing the mindless task of re-stocking at the end of the shift for me before the next nurse comes in for report.

To all you med-cart nazi's out there tho, just be glad the previous nurse was there, and you didn't get the call to come in early and do a double-shift. Kinda' makes b*tching over the order of the med cart look a little lame, don't it? LOL Just re-stock the d@mn cart the way you like it when you take control of it and get on with your life! Pick your battles wisely, and don't sweat the small trivial things.

:sofahider

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

Try Mr. Clean magic erasers, just discovered them, and they clean the med cart grime completely off! Then you can sanitize it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Whats the big deal. Its called prep time. If people would be on time to work, make sure their OWN supplies are in place and arranged the way THEY want before they take off on their med pass there shouldnt be a problem. Who says the med cart has a name on it, it doesnt BELONG to any one nurse. People need to learn to accomodate. Surely if that is the only thing they can find to complain about in your facility you have one mighty fine place there and dont ever leave.

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I follow one gal who just pushes the cart in and leaves it!:uhoh21: Restocks nothing!

In the AM, tho, I leave the cart stocked as full and neatly as I can get it - and the one gal will try her best to shove even more spoons into an already overloaded space. LOL

I would tell them to untwist their panties - you're there for the patients.

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Whats the big deal. Its called prep time. If people would be on time to work, make sure their OWN supplies are in place and arranged the way THEY want before they take off on their med pass there shouldnt be a problem. Who says the med cart has a name on it, it doesnt BELONG to any one nurse. People need to learn to accomodate. Surely if that is the only thing they can find to complain about in your facility you have one mighty fine place there and dont ever leave.

Absolutely!! This is my personal pi$$ off!!:madface: We have this thing on our time clock that won't dock them until 7 minutes after!!

Many of them, including the day RN, think this means that they don't have to be at work until 7 after!:madface: I even asked the DON about it once, and she said, no, that was just in case you were running a little late once in awhile, etc. and that the shift starts on the hour.

All of the day aides come in at 7 minutes after - but the DON never gets there until 8:30 or 9, so she doesn't see these things.

I figure I'm paid to work from X to X, so I need to have my stuff put away, and myself organized BEFORE then - but I guess I'm just anal.:(

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Specializes in LPN.

I used to work in LTC. Some people are on a power trip, and the cart seems to be the battleground. "Do it my way or else". It's funny that these control freaks won't clean or restock. That's beneath their dignity. I made a valiant attempt at rearranging for the cart in the way each particular nurse following me desired. I soon got sick of that, because I could never achieve perfection. One watching me clean the cart top with soap and water, pushed her way in front of me and rewashed the cart. Apparently, I couldn't even wash it correctly to her standards. That's when I stopped being concerned about it anymore. I arranged it to my liking, and left it that way. If they said anything after that, I would say, "Well, then rearrange it to your liking when I leave." The wars calmed down after I stood my ground.

Then the unthinkable happened, we were all laid off, in an attempt to downsize and downscale the pay level. I left the facility before most, and now that some of these people are finding work here, they are simply wimpering to get my attention and good graces. Weird turn, should I now turn on a power trip in return. It's tempting.

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OK. Bash me if you must. I was taught that restocking/cleaning med carts is part of the med pass. It irritates me to come onto shift and have 2 water cups, a few souffle cups, no pill crusher, etc. I also get irritated if I go to pop a med, and the card/bottle is empty. Hello! Did you not realise they needed more? And loose caps on liquids! And drips on liquids! Supplement spilled on top of cart and not cleaned up! Full garbage! Refills not in the order the routines are in! Pulling card 2/2 when 1/2 is still in the refills! Not pulling a reorder sticker on time, etc., etc., etc. Yes, I am anal about my med carts. Most of the other nurses are good about these things. Most.

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My new pet peeve...people pouring lactulose or any syrupy med over the computer keyboard! When you go to type in your code to log on it looks like this...BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB because the keys stick! I can't stand it!!! Why can't they pour away from the keyboard??? A lot of times we need a whole new keyboard. When we get one, the same thing happens not too far down the road! I placed a sign, "Please do not pour over the keyboard." t.y. But to no avail...:smackingf I give up. :banghead:

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