Crushing meds individually?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Hello! I am an LVN student, tonight in clinicals we had a substitute teacher. She said that the right way to give g-tube meds is to crush each one individually, then give each one individually, flushing with water between each one. We've been crushing all of the meds together for 6 months and have not been told this before. I was surprised because our regular teachers have us do everything by the book! How do you working LVN/LPN's give your g-tube meds? Thanks!

:confused: Hummingbird

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
Hello! I am an LVN student, tonight in clinicals we had a substitute teacher. She said that the right way to give g-tube meds is to crush each one individually, then give each one individually, flushing with water between each one. We've been crushing all of the meds together for 6 months and have not been told this before. I was surprised because our regular teachers have us do everything by the book! How do you working LVN/LPN's give your g-tube meds? Thanks!

:confused: Hummingbird

to be honest, she's right, your supposed to crush it individually and flush between. That's also how we were thought in nursing school. I think it has to do with not mixing up the meds and having drug to drug interaction or something like that. Anywayz, she's teaching you the correct way, at least that how the state wants you to do it. So I would stick to it if I were you. Your regular instructor was teaching you the short cut:)lolo:wink2:

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

I agree,crush individually and flush between meds.That way you know that they have had the correct dosage of that medication.If you happened to spill some of the crushed up meds that were all crushed together how would you know that the patient had had the correct dosage of their medication?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I crushed and administered the meds individually, one at a time, while I was a student during clinical rotations.

In the working world, I simply give them all together. Although I'm aware this is not textbook behavior, time does not permit me to utilize textbook methods when I've got 70 patients under my watch.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I have crushed multiple meds all together and then dissolved them in warm water before giving. Yes I did spill them once and had to repour but fortunately that was only once.

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

Learning the correct way during school is best. all meds should be crushed individually and flushed in between.

taking shortcuts in the real world does sometimes happen!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I don't remember what I was taught in school, to be honest, but the real world has not allowed me to do this. Our medications are sent in individual packages, so, I do crush them individually, but then, I have poured them into one container, flushed before and flushed afterwards. Do what you have to do for school; if the question comes up on NCLEX, you know how to answer. In the real world, you will see what challenges you'll encounter, and decide from then which way you may have to go. Sorry to say it but textbook versus real world don't always coincide. ESPECIALLY in LTC.

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check with the policy where you work. Ours is flush with 30 cc prior to and after with 5 cc;s in between. It is more important to be within the guidelines of the place you work, than what you were taught. When the state survey comes around, they will look for you following the guidelines of "your workplace". Go with you facilities policies.

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The meds are going to be mixed all together in the pt's stomach. It doesn't make sense to me to give them seperately. In school, I was taught to give them all together. In the real world, there is no time to give them seperately, anyway.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

nursing school= crush one at a time then administer individually...

reality= throw them all together....

:wink2:

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best thing to do in the real world is to get the doc to order"may give all g-tube meds together"....

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Specializes in SNF-LTC; Gero-psych.

If you have a person who takes there meds crushed PO do you crush them and give them one at a time with a sip of water in between... I DON'T... So tell me the difference why does someone with a G-tube need them seperated.. I know im not a doc...

But as some mentioned on here:

Text Book = crush one at a time with 15cc H20 inbetween

Real World = Crush all at once mix in some med pass and give them all at the same time, followed by a flush of around 120cc...

Now if state is in house, CRUSH THEM SUCKERS ONE AT A TIME or they will GET YOU.....

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