At work, can you ever give drugs with no prescription?

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like for example, cough syrup or other nonprescription drugs, thnx

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I work in a hospital. All medications that I administer have been ordered by someone with prescriptive rights, either through a written order, a verbal order, or a hospital policy/protocol.

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Specializes in stepdown RN.

You need an order to gives meds in hospital.

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Specializes in ER.

nope, not even Tylenol. Most every ER I've worked at has standing orders to to certain things even up to IV narcs and anti-emetics for chest pain, abdominal pain and such and as a RN I can sign those order sheets as a verbal order from what ever ER doc is working but it has to be counter signed by the doc at some point.

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What about oxygen? Wouldn't oxygen be the only possible exception?

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

If it is an absolute emergency, you can give it without an order. You must then obtain an order after you have taken action.

For example, upon lung auscultation you hear no sounds in one lobe of a lung. This may may well have a pneumothorax. You would immediately elevate the HOB, administer oxygen and then notify the MD/NP/PA, etc.

If patient is having an allergic reaction to an infusion, STOP the infusion and notify after.

In an absolute emergency, the patient's safety comes first. If you took the time to notify the provider first, bad results could ensue. Other than emergencies, you must have an order for everything, unless it is a nursing intervention (elevate HOB, SCDs, TEDs, q2h turns, fall preventions, etc.)

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Specializes in stepdown RN.

Not oxygen, this is considered a medication. Now in certain situations I have put on o2 then called for an order or talked to the physician in the morning for an order. Either way you have to get an order.

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

Yeah, that's what I said in my post. You must still get an order for it afterwards, but you do need to administer oxygen first. What if the patient's lungs collapse? What if the MD doesn't answer until after four telephone calls? Meanwhile the patient is steady struggling to breathe.

Not attacking anyone, but I was only stating that at times it is necessary to take immediate action and then notify.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
like for example, cough syrup or other nonprescription drugs, thnx

In a hospital, if it doesn't fall under protocol or order, I cannot administer it.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

It's walking on thin ice to do so, but in the ER, with many years experience behind me, if a doc is not readily available, I'd give D50W to a severely hypoglycemic patient after drawing blood for lab to back me up, Narcan for one of our regular Heroin OD'ers. There are other examples, but my thought process is always the patient's need vs the chance I could spend the rest of my life shlepping burgers.

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Specializes in SNF, Med Surg.

Another homework question?

As the others have said, the answer is no, unless there is a protocol/standing order to follow. That includes O2 (although, as others have said, you would respond to the situation by applying the O2, then get the order). Even if a patient says, "well, at home I take Xmed for my Xsymptom and I can get it otc..."

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Specializes in PCU, Stepdown ICU, Home Health Case Management, ED.

i know there are nurses that have given cough drops to pt's when they requested it, and the nurse had them. oxygen is given if pt needs it or in emergency situations, then the physician will be called post intervention for further orders. i haven't seen any other meds given without orders.

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