the sacred med pass

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Got a spanking today from my DON and am I steamed! God forbid that we run over the legal time limit for our med pass...ever......We have always been in compliance during our assorted inspections but sometimes our day to day morning routine is more like salmon swimming upstream to spawn...I am on a dementia unit and I think myself and the other 2 regular staff nurses have the pass down pat-we have worked hard to learn exactly how to encourage each one of our residents to comply....Our unit clerk is out for who knows how long-so the phone rings off the hook....The cna's ring the call bell constantly-they have not quite figured out that we are both on the floor working-not sitting at the desk....between other depts at the desk sucking the life out of us with endless questions and confused residents dumping juice on my MAR I was at my wits end....I was interuppted way too many times and that is a recipe for a mistake-but a resident's needs do come first-I can't let some poor gal stand up and fall over cause I have to get the meds out in time,can I? And then she threatens me with the 2 med cart scenario-not a good idea on this unit-our lobby area is where we place folks that need to be observed-if both nurse are out on med pass together what happens out front? Why does she not come to the floor on the days that the med pass f-l-o-w-s smoothly? I am proud of one thing-after all of these years I ahve finally learned to keep my MOUTH shut....Instead of debating all of this crap I just said " I will try to do better" and that was the end of it.....O I love my DON but about some things she is way out of date and dealing with dementia is not her forte.....She was on the unit one morning and call bells were going crazy-we were answering them at the desk but not getting a response...well-One of our gals was out there collecting them....My DON just could not understand how that could a happen! Anyway_ I am glad that I can vent here....I will have to not let myself be interrupted too much-I can always tell the other depts to go to the charge nurse(and pull her away from her treatments and such---she has all day to do them) and when a cna needs help with a quick lift I guess I can refuse....Sure....It's a loose-loose situation....argh!!!!!~

I'm going to guess here, but if she's DON wouldn't that mean she has a nursing degree? If she has time to come over and chide you for being late then she has time to help out a little. She doesn't have to pass meds, but would answering a call light, redirecting a resident, etc too much to ask?

Ooops, what was I thinking? Seeing a NM or DON work the floor is like Haley's Comet - happens about every 500 years.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
We always run over. I find it uncanny that the smoking nurses can finish the med pass by 10A. I take until 11 with out fail. I put up shades, put sweaters and glasses on residents and talk to them, and their families. Miss my break, too. Cannot work overtime due to exhaustion. Most days I am too tired to make dinner.

As far as what caliotter3 describes, why am I not surprised? Nursing shortage, no shyte!

It is ironic that it is the state that regulates the time perameters on the med pass, but also regulates the poor staff ratios. Are the ratios that are in place outdated from the 60's and 70's? Now residents live longer and are less stable, and more dementia.

I am a nurse who smokes and I do get my meds passed on time. Do you know why? Because I'm not sitting around gabbing or complaining. I get in their and organize my time to get everything done. And instead of a 30 minute lunch break, I will take 3 ten minute smoke breaks. And my being gone for ten minutes when it's not as busy is alot easier to take than other nurses' being gone for 30 minutes in the middle of the day. Don't hate on smokers. And don't insinuate that we are not getting the same things done that you are. :angryfire
I am a nurse who smokes and I do get my meds passed on time. Do you know why? Because I'm not sitting around gabbing or complaining. I get in their and organize my time to get everything done. And instead of a 30 minute lunch break, I will take 3 ten minute smoke breaks. And my being gone for ten minutes when it's not as busy is alot easier to take than other nurses' being gone for 30 minutes in the middle of the day. Don't hate on smokers. And don't insinuate that we are not getting the same things done that you are. :angryfire

K you know what, we don't need to get into pointless debates about who's lazier than others.

Handed in my resignation today for a situation that was just the opposite. I understand s**t happens, however, everyday on the same unit.... big no no. Residents getting meds consistently late. I was asked to float to a unit at 10am to complete a morning med pass, only to find out, no one had their meds yet??!!! 8 am insulins not given. I am rushing, I felt like my license was in jeopardy. Happens too much, residents are being shafted. Your situation is understandable. Hope the DON is supportive, mine asks me to do illegal things.At least yours is attempting to follow the law, but she needs to lighten up a little.

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