Help CNA passing meds

Please, please OP do yourself a favor and refuse to pass the meds if they ask you too. You haven't had the training or experience yet to pass them and you would feel horrible if an accident happened due to a med you passed. What your facility is doing is very unsafe and probably illegal, there needs to be an RN or LPN on at all times and CNAs should not be passing meds. if they didn't at least have training as a med. tech. A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn't pass a med. or perform a treatment if you don't....

A. Know what your doing
B. Understand how it works and
C. Recognize the potential complications

I know it sounds silly but I wouldn't even give an aspirin to a patient without first being fully aware of their health history and current status and having a drug profile for aspirin available to me. You don't want something like a med. error causing a life changing accident to tarnish or possibly end your career as a nurse before it even gets started.

!Chris

I live in Arkansas, too, and yes, Arkansas did just recently, start a Medication aide program. But they're supposed to have training and it is authorized by the Arkansas BON. I'm not sure exactly what all the requirements are, but I know it did start maybe 2 years ago.
But it sounds to me like the place you are working in could be violating some rules.
One of the LTC's in the town I live in, has medication aides and they are following the rules set out by the nursing board. There are always nurses, LPNs and RNs on duty....the aides are never left alone.
If I were you, I would get out of that place like now. What they are doing and asking you to do is not right and is dangerous.

Leave that place right now, do not worry there is a better opportunity just around the corner. Protect yourself at all cost, the facility will deny they asked you to do it.

Regulations in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) or Long Term Care (LTC) are much more strigent when Medicare or Medicaid is the payer and patients need skilled nursing or physical therapy care. SNF's are required to have at least 8hrs/day of RN staffing.

Regulations for assisted living facilites usually fall under group home regulations were there is NO requirement to have nursing presence at all in resident's care as residents are considered stable.
Therefore unlicensed assistive personal commonly provide medications to those living in group homes, facilites for those with mental health/mental retardation (MH/MR), and domicile care homes.

This is NOT illegal. I used to work in assisted living and am on call in a different one right now. All new employees are given 4 hours in a crash course in medications. You are then checked off on skills with an RN. I have set up, passed meds, and given narcotics in assisted living. It was scary at first for me but I got used to it. It's a lot easier than you think. If you are unsure, I would ask for more training.

Wow, I'm really surprised to hear this but thanks for the clarification Spunky and NRSKaren. I have to say that honestly its really very scary to hear that a nurse doesn't have to be present at all times in an assisted living facility and that unlicensed personnel are giving out medication (including narcotics) with as little as 4 hours of training and a checklist. No offense to any of those unlicensed personnel but I don't think its very safe at all without at least a nurse on-site for supervision.

!Chris