Canceled Patient Morphine Allergy

[RNlife6]

Hello everyone,

I am a new to practice RN. Yesterday I had a pt. come in with severe abdominal pain. The doctor was at the bedside and ordered morphine. When I asked the pt. if she had any drug allergies she stated that she didn't have any allergies. She was given morphine 4 mg, then 8 mg. After being given the second dose of morphine, the pt. states that she is allergic to morphine and Ativan. I asked her what happens when she gets morphine and she states that it makes her nauseous. She was given Zofran and I did pt. teaching on the difference between side effects and allergy. Pt. asked if I can take that allergy out of the system so I canceled the allergy on the request of the pt. Thinking in hindsight, I feel like I should not have canceled it. I feel like I should have just documented her symptoms. I want to go back to the hospital and rechart the allergy with the symptoms, but I am so nervous about doing so. Was it the right thing to cancel the allergy? Should I go back and change it in her chart?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I am glad to hear that the eMars are starting to do this. Where I have been, this isn't the case yet.

Our software requires a physician's order to cancel a drug allergy. They grumble about it, but if you ask them to (and document the reason why it's appropriate) they will write the order.