Medication Aides

U.S.A. North Carolina

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VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN

49 Articles; 5,349 Posts

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

the poor conditions in long-term care facilities is nationwide, not just in nc. and, medication aides are part of the problem, not the solution. no amount of money is worth working in these facilities - nurses are putting their licenses and livelihoods on the line everyday trying to do an impossible job. some of these places are being intentionally understaffed to save money. elders are being abused and neglected in long-term care facilities across this country, a national disgrace. for a particularly disturbing piece of research, see this recent article (1/2009) in the american journal of nursing:

this case study of the care received by a terminally ill nursing home resident in his late 80s describes the many organizational and clinical factors that led to the progression of his pressure ulcer from stage ii to stage iv. the patient suffered weight loss, an increase in tissue load, and deterioration of the wound and finally died in pain with a large stage iv pressure ulcer that exposed his coccyx. the authors examine the ethical aspects of the case and explore the ways in which inadequate staffing, staff education, and supervision contributed to insufficient help with meals, infrequent and improper repositioning, and unrelieved pain.

http://www.nursingcenter.com/pdf.asp?aid=835813

NC Girl BSN

1,845 Posts

Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

I totally agree Vickie,

I work in a privately owned facility and they will intentionally work short CNA's on all shifts to save money. They flat out refuse to call agency for back up. Its all greed at the sake of the patients. It makes me sick having 30 patients each day along with treatments and paperwork. I never leave at night thinking I did a great job. I am always rushing. If my facility cared about quality care, they would give each nurse a med aide and let us work with them and give impectable care to 30 patients that I am already responsible for and not try to double my work by adding an additional 30 patients. It makes me want to nauseas thinking of being responsible for 60 patients. How does this ultimatley benefit the patients???? I doesn't!

goremyra

6 Posts

On the saving money issue, I'd have to agree. Me and my partner and roommate were recently "laid off" (put to PRN) and we worked the over night shift. The company that owns my facility is selling the facility to an even bigger Limited Liability Corporation and they actually put out a memo stating that there would be one nurse and one aide for 35 residents, and there are two sections to the nursing home...so that is two aides, two nurses for 70 residents (including a secure Alzheimers unit with 20 residents and State-mandated two aides in there with them) for a total of TWO nurses, and four AIDES in the entire building for nearly 100 people. Yes, saving money and not taking care of the elderly doesn't seem to be a priority, wherever you go, Texas or otherwise.

BUT! That isn't the case EVERYWHERE! There are good nursing homes in our area! And they do use Med Aides as a Helper to the Nurse, not to take the place of his/her job duties, but to assist in the routine passing of medication, under his/her supervision and discretion, not the Med Aides. I know this may seem out-of-step with what ya'll are used to in North Carolina, but where there is a perpetual shortage of nurses (30% or so projected for Texas alone) there will be a need for support staff to take on some of the responsibilities that one person could simply not do alone. And that is the bottom line.

And you, as nurse(s), would be wise to find and educate the most deserving of your staff and build a solid, working and professional/mentoring relationship with them so that care is given to highest feasible standard, under the circumstances!

And earlier I mistakingly gave the advice of moving to Texas to Vicki, when it was NC girl I was replying to! Sorry about that!:wink2:

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

part of this is not true... yes you must have 100 hrs of classroom instruction but texas only requires medication aides to complete 10 hours of supervised clinical instruction...

http://www.dads.state.tx.us/providers/nf/credentialing/ma/faq_ma.html

i don't know about north carolina, but texas requires a med aide to complete 100 hours of classroom intstruction and 40 hours of competency evaluation.

goremyra

6 Posts

You apparently did not read the Statute correctly. Here is what it says:

"A: First, you must successfully complete the medication aide training program, which includes:

  • 100 hours of classroom instruction and training;
  • 20 hours of returned skills demonstration laboratory; and
  • 10 hours of clinical experience, including clinical observation and skills demonstration under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse in a facility, and 10 more hours in a return skills demonstration laboratory"

1)100 hours classroom----------which is what I stated

2)40 hours of competency evaluation

That's 20 hours of returned skills (which means I have to pass meds in front of someone to show that I'm competent)

10 hours of Clinical Experience----------Learning how to pass Meds correctly in front of my Instructor, who is an RN

AND

10 MORE hours in a Return Skill Demonstration----again, working under a Registered Nurse to show that I'm competent.

Altogether, that is 40 HOURS OF COMPETENCY EVALUATION BEFORE I AM TO BE LICENSED. Which is what I stated! So, I was correct! I'm taking the course now. I know what it requires! Sorry!

Let's not forget that no matter where I go to work in Texas after I'm licensed, I'll have to be trained and supervised at least several days before I'm allowed to pass meds on my own. That's another 32 hours, at least, of competency evaluation, don't ya think? ;)

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

i laughed when i read this and thought "you have got to be kidding right"... this is so not true that its almost scary... lvn's don't just take a 100 hour course and they are done with pharm...pharm is a course that last throughout the entire nursing school process and must be passed with almost 100% accuracy...it is implemented in every course we take...so no medication aides do not have more education than lvn...

i find this amuzing that if and when you ccomplete nursing school you will think twice about writing this here cause then you will see the definite differences in the quality of education... for years i did the clinical supervison of the student medication aides in our building for the surrounding medication courses in the area...scary to know that only 1 student could correctly identify her medications before she gave them.. none of them knew you had to obtain bp's before a bp med and then had no clue on pulse parimeters for meds like dig...even when it was written on the mar in fromt of them...

i ask a student once if a patient was allergic to acetaminophen would she give the patient tylenol...she said.."yeah cause the allergy is not listed on the mar"...uhhhh

how about the one that was looking for the colace in the narc box and the vicodin in the top otc drawer..that was one of my favorites...she finally gave up "cause the meds were not where they were suppose to be"

i have cnstantly preached that med aides are a ok idea as long as they are given the proper education....right now texas requirments are very unsafe and the whole program needs to be rethought and re-constructed....

the pharmacology learned in a med aide course is actually more than what you'd learn as an lvn/lpn.

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

you have 10 hours supervised clinical in a facility on the floor passing pills period....does not matter what you do in the lab...the real learning happens when you hot the floor and 10 hours don't cut it neither does 32.. med aides don't have a license they have a cert big difference...i know what this course entails as well sorry...

you apparently did not read the statute correctly. here is what it says:

"a: first, you must successfully complete the medication aide training program, which includes:

  • 100 hours of classroom instruction and training;
  • 20 hours of returned skills demonstration laboratory; and
  • 10 hours of clinical experience, including clinical observation and skills demonstration under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse in a facility, and 10 more hours in a return skills demonstration laboratory"

1)100 hours classroom----------which is what i stated

2)40 hours of competency evaluation

that's 20 hours of returned skills (which means i have to pass meds in front of someone to show that i'm competent)

10 hours of clinical experience----------learning how to pass meds correctly in front of my instructor, who is an rn

and

10 more hours in a return skill demonstration----again, working under a registered nurse to show that i'm competent.

altogether, that is 40 hours of competency evaluation before i am to be licensed. which is what i stated! so, i was correct! i'm taking the course now. i know what it requires! sorry!

let's not forget that no matter where i go to work in texas after i'm licensed, i'll have to be trained and supervised at least several days before i'm allowed to pass meds on my own. that's another 32 hours, at least, of competency evaluation, don't ya think? ;)

goremyra

6 Posts

The idea, of course, is that Med Aides are supposed to be familiar and have a working understanding of the Pharmacology. I, personally, know the difference between Peri-Colace (a laxative) and Vicodin (a pain medicine), and that Tylenol has acetaminohphen in it!

I know that the pool of candidates, to be blunt, coming from being Nurse Aides, isn't the brightest and most promising of individuals, but it appears that Med Aides are being discounted, through and through.

I was told by Nurses before I began the program that the Pharmacology was more intensive than what a nurse would learn.

At any rate, I'm rather aggravated that every Nurse on here has something negative to say about Med Aides, etc. I'm not the dumb, dreg-of-society Nurse Aide who doesn't or won't know what he is doing. Period. I have some education. I have intelligence.

To be honest, I'm becoming a Med Aide to make enough money to finish my Bachelors Degree and go on to something better, something besides the Health Care Industry. I have never met a more disparaging, condescending group of people than nurses who think they know everything.

Maybe I'll come work under you and catch you making medication errors; wouldn't that be something?

goremyra

6 Posts

TxSpadeQueen...I still have almost a HUNDRED HOURS OF UNIVERSITY CREDIT....Not far from a Bachelors Degree.....from a REAL University, UT-Dallas and Texas A & M, to be specific.....what community college did you earn your LVN degree at? Oh wait, that's A CERTIFICATE too, isn't it? Sorry! Still have more education than you! Get over it!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN

49 Articles; 5,349 Posts

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Moderator's note: Let's keep the topic to NORTH CAROLINA MEDICATION AIDES. If members wish to debate about Medication Aides/ Techs/ CMAs in Texas, then please start a thread in the Texas Nursing Forum. Thank you for your kind consideration of this request.

And, in North Carolina, Medication Aides are not licensed, they are certified (like the CNAs). They work under the Nurse's license. So, big liability issue.

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