Administering Tylenol to a friend

[Em31200]

Hi everyone, I'm a second semester nursing student and today in class my professor said something interesting I had never considered. We are learning about medication administration currently and her question was: "Your best friend is at your house and complains of a headache. She asks you for some of your Tylenol. Do you give it to her?" Almost everyone said yes that it was ok because it was your friend, not in your job setting, and she was a consenting adult capable of making her own decision to take the medication. Our professor said that was wrong and that you can't give any medication to your friend because you are not a licensed prescriber and you could lose your license if something happened your friend. She also said that same applies to your own children. So what are you supposed to do if your kid is sick and needs cough medication? You're always accountable if something bad were to happen?

[SmilingBluEyes]

Wow the cray-cray factor in this thread is well, cray-cray.

[Extra Pickles]

But he had been on a regular floor all damn day and the nurses just kept passing on in report that he was fine, he just needed to be suctioned like crazy.

Well, I was able to do that for a couple hours after my shift started. But then I wasn't able to enter the room for an hour because I was stuck doing other things and then I came back and found him ghost-white, dead, with secretions drooling out of his mouth because he couldn't clear them on his own. Part of me was so angry at him for producing mucous NONSTOP and forcing me to be in there so much, but I really should have been mad at the staffing situation and the idiots in charge for not recognizing this patients acuity. It was a really annoying situation and definitely was not therapeutic for me.

I thought you had to be joking even if it was a really bad joke because who in their right mind says a patient's death was an annoying situation and not therapeutic for the nurse?????

I thought you were joking until I read another page or two and saw that no, you really believe that you were the one who was put out by your patient being so needy and OMG dying!!

You said the situation was annoying, did you ever for one single second consider how the situation seemed to the poor old man who was struggling just to breathe?! I imagine he was annoyed, and probably wishing it was you who was struggling for each breath. He drowned in his own secretions and you don't feel shame at allowing it, you feel annoyed???

Did someone in your nursing program teach you that patient interactions are supposed to be therapeutic for you? Did they not teach you that when caring for another human being it isn't at all about you??

I can only hope that you never got anywhere near that poor man's family, because if they got an eyeful of the annoyed nurse who didn't get his share of therapy that day (provided by the patients) they would likely have been horrified.

I just can't get over how you said that this patient should have been in an ICU but since he wasn't you weren't going to do anything to get him there and that we should somehow feel sorry for you in this scenario. My sympathy lies with the family and my empathy lies with the patient and my disgust lies with the nurse that let it all happen so terribly.

[Dogen]

I believe the entire saying is:

"Those who can do, those who can't teach, those who can't teach administrate, those who can't administrate legislate"

I think my punctuation ain't not right, but, like, whatevah. Throttle away.

Don't worry, if I'm moved to suggest a throttling, I'll let you know. :)

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

Don't worry, if I'm moved to suggest a throttling, I'll let you know. :)

But if you do, don't offer a Tylenol afterward.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I thought you had to be joking even if it was a really bad joke because who in their right mind says a patient's death was an annoying situation and not therapeutic for the nurse?????

I thought you were joking until I read another page or two and saw that no, you really believe that you were the one who was put out by your patient being so needy and OMG dying!!

You said the situation was annoying, did you ever for one single second consider how the situation seemed to the poor old man who was struggling just to breathe?! I imagine he was annoyed, and probably wishing it was you who was struggling for each breath. He drowned in his own secretions and you don't feel shame at allowing it, you feel annoyed???

Did someone in your nursing program teach you that patient interactions are supposed to be therapeutic for you? Did they not teach you that when caring for another human being it isn't at all about you??

I can only hope that you never got anywhere near that poor man's family, because if they got an eyeful of the annoyed nurse who didn't get his share of therapy that day (provided by the patients) they would likely have been horrified.

I just can't get over how you said that this patient should have been in an ICU but since he wasn't you weren't going to do anything to get him there and that we should somehow feel sorry for you in this scenario. My sympathy lies with the family and my empathy lies with the patient and my disgust lies with the nurse that let it all happen so terribly.

I figured that whole story was complete fiction posted to be deliberately inflammatory.

[Extra Pickles]

I figured that whole story was complete fiction posted to be deliberately inflammatory.

I really hope you're right because otherwise my heart breaks for what nursing has become. There will always be heartless freaks but for the most part I think most of us are pretty decent! :)

[Alex_RN, BSN]

OTC does not require a prescriber. Duh.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Yeah, some of these threads are best perused at home, in your jammies with a bottle of wine (or Patron, your choice) and a plate of sharp cheddar and Triscuits.

Just don't share them with anyone; you could lose your license. [emoji56]

And Tylenol for the hangover from the Patron.....

[maccamax]

The other day I was bored and looking at the license revocations on my state's BON. The ones who have lost their license have lost it over stuff like stealing controlled substances (not even talking about diverting waste--I'm talking, RN taking bottles of meds from assisted living facility resident's bathroom), sexually abusing minors or vulnerable adults, financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, forging Rx's for controlled substances with a provider's stolen DEA number.

By your instructor's logic, MDs who are parents can't give OTC meds to their children either; only a licensed pharmacist can dispense meds. Lay people who are parents would be in even hotter H2O because they would be practicting medicine AND pharmacy w/o a license.

Your instructor is, to use the technical term, full of it.

Seriously? What does she think nurse-parents do, take their kid to the ED for Tylenol administration for an after-hours headache?

SMH.

Your Instructor may be giving the good advice that nurses shouldn't play Doctor, away from immediate family , even with low schedule Rx.

Absurd to say something like over the counter Rx is off limits to your own. That's why it is over the counter.

Trust me , give a friend a drink of water and it will be your fault if their condition worsens.

[Libby1987]

I'm guessing that the team had some protocol for medical treatment in the parents' absence. I personally wouldn't medicate someone else's child without permission, nurse or no. I'd defer to the team staff. I would liken that situation to how a school nurse is licensed and the healthcare professional in the school, but can't give a student meds without the parents' written permission.

I forgot about my post, but this wasn't a school team, just parent led recreational soccer.

[Farawyn]

And Tylenol for the hangover from the Patron.....

No, Ibuprofen! Because, liver.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

APAP is worse on the liver than ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is bad on the kidneys. SO don't give that out either unless your friend with a headache likes dialysis.