Do any of you know much about these? They keep going on and on about it in my CNA class. I guess the state of North Carolina will be listing the position on the NC Board of Nursing next year. The instructors seem to think that a lot of opportunities and job openings will be avaliable to them.
Learn the skills and information you will need to take the state Med Tech Exam.
Our Med Tech class includes instruction on:
Safe medication administration
Proper infection control
Medical Terminology
Physician orders & transcribing
Medication monitoring techniques
Methods to monitor RX effects/side effects/adverse reactions
Proper storage of medications
Proper documentation procedures
Reference/resources in Rx administration.
I'm just wondering is this is something that's being "hyped up". Or if this will be a more common job.
Ive had negative experiences with med techs. I feel the only people who should be administering meds are nurses who've had extensive training. For example, I am a visiting nurse and went to see my patient in the group home for wound care. When I got there, the woman was in the respiratory distress (hx of asthma, multiple meds and prn inhalers) and the med techs did not even recognize she needed a respiratory treatment or a trip to the ER! When I asked to get her albuterol, the med tech barely knew what it was. I had to explain to him what it was and why she needed it. I know this is only one experience and there are no nurses in this group home. At least there should be a nurse overseeing the med techs. Maybe then it would be ok? I dont know...Im a little uncomfortable with this issue!!
Its sad to see that alot of nurses on here have a holier then thow attitude, and the bit about 4hrs of training is a laugh. One of my best freinds is The house supervisor and she's the best nurse i have ever met, she started at the bottom and worked her way up years ago, she says everyone needs help. And even the housekeeoers at my job know what albuterol is, but we work as a full team relying on each other, we are all out for one purpose the patient or resident. I think that more people have to learn everyone needs help and yes even nurses can make bad mistakes, and its not just your life and job, its also the CMA's.
I'm glad that you find 4 hours of training as a laugh (it DOES happen). I doubt a resident would.
Thats just plain stupidity, 4hrs training, who can honestly even think they have any training in meds in only 4hrs. It took me almost a year to become a CNA and a CMA or as people also say a CMT, takes almost 2 yrs. If you know for a fact that someone is passing drugs after only 4hrs training, then its your duty to report this,and if you dont then you are also as blind, but dont lump us all together. I've worked very hard for my CNA and got a GPA of 4.0, i take it very seriousely. I came to this web sight because i respect nurses very highly, but the way ive been bashed, and belittled, i think i may have made a mistake.
Thats just plain stupidity, 4hrs training, who can honestly even think they have any training in meds in only 4hrs. It took me almost a year to become a CNA and a CMA or as people also say a CMT, takes almost 2 yrs. If you know for a fact that someone is passing drugs after only 4hrs training, then its your duty to report this,and if you dont then you are also as blind, but dont lump us all together. I've worked very hard for my CNA and got a GPA of 4.0, i take it very seriousely. I came to this web sight because i respect nurses very highly, but the way ive been bashed, and belittled, i think i may have made a mistake.
Don't feel bad, we aren't all bad people. It's just that there are certain topics that absolutely WILL cause all of our feathers to ruffle... the med tech debate is one of them. On a website full of nurses, that one just won't be won. It's nothing personal. Breastfeeding, BSN vs. ADN, and RN vs. LVN are three others that will have the same effect. Almost everyone has a strong opinion.
I work for a state facility in MO. We have several CMT's on staff. (Esp since 3 of 4 LPN's quit within 2 weeks and are apperntly very hard to replace right now! ) I have one who works with me and she has been doing this job for about 3 years. They pass routine meds (including narc's) but have to call and ask a licenced nurse before giving any prn meds, including Tylenol. They are allowed to to treatments (lotions and creams mostly) and supp.s but cannot cange colostomy bags, transcribe orders, give injections etc.
I think there are both benefits and risks invloved and there are some we as licenced nurses have told the facility that we will not take responsibility for and they do not use them. I think it depends on the type of facilty and the basic understanding of each individual person.
BTW: our facility trained techs have 80 hours of training
I have been in Nursing for over 37 years...came up through the ranks. From Dietary Aid to Nurse's Assistant (we didn't have to be CERTIFIED back in the 60's) to LPN (for 23 years) and have been an RN since 1990. I now work for myself, as an Independent, doing staff-relief for LTC facilities. (Making the BIG bucks! I charge more than what they pay their nurses, but less than the local Staffing Agencies, and I get plenty of work! :thankya: ) I have found in my VAST experience in LTC, that Med Aides are indispensible!!! It is extremely naive for hospital nurses to think that LTC nurses can possibly do it all. We are often responsible for 100+ residents. I am thrilled when the Med Aide is actually a CMA, far too often, in Assisted Living facilities, the med aide is "Joe Blow off-the-street", who has been "delegated" to peddle pills. I worked in one facility (for a VERRRRY short stint) where the Administrator was a gal who "USED to be a CMA, but let her license lapse"...SHE did the delegating...and the RN was supposed to sign the paper saying the person was adequately trained. When she handed me the paper to sign for a new gal she had hired...who was to work THAT night shift weekend...and I KNEW the gal from working with her at another facility, (she was a CNA, and "slightly retarded") I refused to sign the paper, and protested that she ABSOLUTELY COULDN'T be a Med Aide. I made a surprise visit to the facility on the night shift that weekend, and low-and-behold the "slightly retarded" gal was the Med Aide/Care-giver for the 23 residents of the Alzheimer's Unit. :angryfire I didn't work THERE again. So the "4 hour training" is very realistic at SOME places. Certainly not in Hospitals, but LTC, Assisted Living, Residential Care...it happens.
So I repeat...I AM THRILLED TO HAVE CMA's!!! I appreciate the Med Aides, and know that I could not possibly do THEIR job and MINE. God Bless you Nicole, Magenta, and all the other CMA's who make my job "do-able"!!! :icon_hug:
I suppose I am not an expert on the med tech deal. I know that the bill was dropped in Illinois. I will graduate in June as an LPN and the coordinator at for our program protested this bill ...went to the capital and talked to everyone she could. I don't feel like the amount of Pharmacology we get in the LPN program is enough let alone the little training a med tech gets.
I STAND MY GRAND i AAM A cma FORRR 8 YRS, HUBBY lvn DID M,Y JOB said no way I respecxt CMA's aand does till prsent day It's hard but read PDR constanly all is trial and error look /watch talk to pt's will do fine
Do any of you know much about these? They keep going on and on about it in my CNA class. I guess the state of North Carolina will be listing the position on the NC Board of Nursing next year. The instructors seem to think that a lot of opportunities and job openings will be avaliable to them.
Learn the skills and information you will need to take the state Med Tech Exam.
Our Med Tech class includes instruction on:
Safe medication administration
Proper infection control
Medical Terminology
Physician orders & transcribing
Medication monitoring techniques
Methods to monitor RX effects/side effects/adverse reactions
Proper storage of medications
Proper documentation procedures
Reference/resources in Rx administration.
I'm just wondering is this is something that's being "hyped up". Or if this will be a more common job.
I don'it knowww I know I haaaave een and learned and parrticipated iiin Nursing Issues in Hospice hubby says why not get my paay
no one has said that med aides are "bad people", the issue is safety. Let's put it this way, when you go into the doctors office for common complaints, probably 75% of the time the RN could figure out what is wrong and know which drug needs to be used to treat the problem. This would be the case for patients with a normal presentation and hx. But what about the zebra? the person with atypical symptoms or multiple systems in stages of disease? to recognize, diagnose and treat people with abnormal presentations youwill most likely need a physician or an NP/PA. It is the same concept with medication administration. Most people can read correctly and follow directions to physically give the medication, but what about symptoms and recognizing problems that could be occuring when the patient has multiple medications? What about signs that the med is not working or is possibly causing an allergic response, etc... Now imagine knowing the risks involved with giving medications and knowing you are now responsible for another person giving meds under your license? I am not a nurse yet but, I know first hand how dangerous it can be for someone not truly qualified to take on this responsibility. It isn't about someone being a better, more honest person, it's about someone being more qualified for the job by virtue of education.
I think tx is saying that her experience as a med aide is doable and she gets respect from her hubby for it, who's an LPN. She studies a PDR and learns by trial and error; looking and watching; and talking with patients.
I think she's saying CMA's will do fine if they do what she does.
) I have one who works with me and she has been doing this job for about 3 years. They pass routine meds (including narc's) but have to call and ask a licenced nurse before giving any prn meds, including Tylenol. They are allowed to to treatments (lotions and creams mostly) and supp.s but cannot cange colostomy bags, transcribe orders, give injections etc. 
When she handed me the paper to sign for a new gal she had hired...who was to work THAT night shift weekend...and I KNEW the gal from working with her at another facility, (she was a CNA, and "slightly retarded") I refused to sign the paper, and protested that she ABSOLUTELY COULDN'T be a Med Aide. I made a surprise visit to the facility on the night shift that weekend, and low-and-behold the "slightly retarded" gal was the Med Aide/Care-giver for the 23 residents of the Alzheimer's Unit. :angryfire I didn't work THERE again. So the "4 hour training" is very realistic at SOME places. Certainly not in Hospitals, but LTC, Assisted Living, Residential Care...it happens.
magenta
15 Posts
Its sad to see that alot of nurses on here have a holier then thow attitude, and the bit about 4hrs of training is a laugh. One of my best freinds is The house supervisor and she's the best nurse i have ever met, she started at the bottom and worked her way up years ago, she says everyone needs help. And even the housekeeoers at my job know what albuterol is, but we work as a full team relying on each other, we are all out for one purpose the patient or resident. I think that more people have to learn everyone needs help and yes even nurses can make bad mistakes, and its not just your life and job, its also the CMA's.