Bermuda Triangle of lost supplies?!?

[djh123]

I just have to rant about the supply situation at my LTC facility. There are 2 pieces to it.

1) We're short of needed items sometimes, particularly on weekends, and it's annoying and time-consuming to have to go to other units to try to find what you need. That's due to either our supply person(s) or the company being cheap ... or both.

2) Co-workers take - whether intentionally or not - highlighters, post-it note pads, pens, a pill cutter, Sharpies, gloves, bottles of wound cleaner, rolls of medical tape, and more, out of treatment and/or med carts. I think at least sometimes someone just took the wound cleaner or box of gloves into a room and forgot and left them there. But it's still annoying- and sometimes you can't find one of the above that someone else has absconded with.

But the one that really gets me is the boxes of Large gloves. I've pulled a new box out of the supply closet a zillion times, and frequently when I get there it's gone. So there must be a resident's room at my facility with 648 boxes of L gloves. Where is it?!? Gaaaaaaaaah! (No, I don't think other people are actually going through them that fast...).

[xxMichelleJxx]

I know that sucks. You can't control the staff the works the shift before you. When I used to work in a LTC facility and handle the med carts, I used to check both my med and treatment carts at the beginning of my shift. I always arrived to my unit early. I checked and refilled whatever I needed so I wasn't constantly running back and forth during my shift. You should fill up your carts with whatever you need. Then you won't have a problem with supplies missing since they will be in your locked med/tx cart for your shift.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Yes..this!

I've created a special hidden place for supplies for the weekend! I have another nurse that shares this special hiding place and restocks it. After many years of working together, this is the only thing we find that works.

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

Yes..this!

I've created a special hidden place for supplies for the weekend! I have another nurse that shares this special hiding place and restocks it. After many years of working together, this is the only thing we find that works.

Sadly I have resorted to this too. Management gets angry when they find stashes like this. But what can I do?!