Abuse/ negligent med error?

[Gracia69]

[COLOR=#000000]in the facility patient get their meds in the med room. One patient does not want to get up to take her meds at 0800.

Patient is taking oral antibiotics for bronchitis. To complete the series of the antibiotic, the med person bring the patients meds to her room and patient will take it without problem. Today the med person assigned refused to bring the medication to patients room. Med person said it was not given because patient did not get up (this was already 1000 when she was telling the nurse. The nurse talk to patient and patient said she will take the meds if the med person will bring it to her (in her room.) The nurse talk to the med person but she flatly said no she needs to get up. Nurse was trying hard to explain to med person but she refused to listen to the explanation. Instead this med person told the nurse she can wait at 1130 ( time the med room open). She Even said why? what is the difference in giving now(1030) and at 1130. After the arguments she gave the meds at 1100 (0800 dose). this is negligent med error / abuse?? I need some input I want to report this person[/COLOR]

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Why didn't the nurse just take the medication to the patient at the point she/he realized the med person was was on a power trip? Antibiotics need to be given within an acceptable time range (usually an hour just depends on their half life) to be the most effective! Does this med person have a license!

[Gracia69]

Yes she have license. Is it considered abuse negligent medication error?

[NuGuyNurse2b]

if it's facility protocol to do it that way, then she was in line with her scope of practice. it is up to the nurse to accommodate the patient's wishes.

[heron, ASN, RN]

To whom do you want to report this med person?

I suppose, technically it's a wrong time med error, but a formal report of negligence or abuse to the BON can cost a license, so I'd want more context before forming an opinion.

Unless there's a pattern of power struggles with residents or failure to follow a poc, this seems more an internal disciplinary issue than anything else.

[VANurse2010]

The nurse should have just given the med herself and the med tech reported to management for appropriate handling. Giving an 0800 med at 1130 is not a BON issue.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

I would start out just reporting it in your facility so it can be investigated and the person can be corrected. There has to be a persistent pattern of issues of this nature for most boards to take action and they need very specific information to do so.

[%D#2]

I would have given the med myself and confronted the tech. As a nurse I always have the patients best interest and if staff doesn't listen to my delegation I confront then

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

If you are delegating to unlicensed assistive personnel (a medication tech) that the med needs to be given, and the med tech explains to you that the only place that he/she can administer medications is in the med room (which has a camera, I am sure) then you, as the licensed nurse needs to give the medication in the resident's room. And document/sign off that you have done so.

Medication techs are not nurses. Per facility they have guidelines that they have to follow. One of which in many facilities is that the resident comes to them in the med room to receive their medication.

I hate to say it, OP, but you could be found negligent for not doing what a prudent nurse would have done. And that is that at 0800 the resident is asked to come and get medications, and when they would have said no, then you, as the nurse have a practice standard and ethical responsibility to make sure the residents receives the med in a timely manner.

Not to mention, a licensed nurse can not delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel tasks that are outside of their scope and/or against company policy. And dispensing meds outside of the medication room is against the policy.

As you describe it, this medication aide is "licensed". I am not sure that is the case, as most are certified, not holding a state license.....

Unless you are talking about an LPN--who is a nurse, and not a certified medication aide.

Regardless, it is your responsibility to be sure that residents are medicated if they are your assigned residents. And the aide could cite you for attempting to delegate outside of the med aide's scope.

[amoLucia]

Was this in a psych facility? Wouldn't following routine and protocol be part of therapy?