I saw one patient receive PRN percocet and his scheduled Oxycodone PO at the same time. She is VERY dependent on this narcotic. Would you give these two meds together? Or would you give the scheduled oxycodone and later give the PRN, even if the patient asks to take them together?
After taking both at the same time, the patient's BP decreased to 90/60, and respiration rate decreased from 20 to 7 breaths per minute, her O2 sats were 88% on 2L of oxygen. She became +++somnolent and it was very difficult to wake her up, she would fall asleep right in the middle of a conversation. If her respirations dropped to 6 per min, the nurse would have called code 66. She was given narcan and was fine after all.
Obviously she had an overdose, but, would you normally give these two meds at the same time if the patient asks? Do you consider this a "bad" nursing practice?