checking MAR

Youre kidding, right?

Hi LTC nurses--what is your policy about checking MAR to the Physicians orders before your med pass? Do you look thru each and every med order and compare it to the MAR?

Hi Fancy Face.You would never get done with your med pass if you checked each and every physicians orders before each med pass.It should have been transcribed onto the MAR by you or another nurse when the Doctor wrote the orders(or T.O)If there is a discrepency,definetly check it out.I have found med errors from a simple transcription issue that maybe was not carried over from the month before or at the time the DR. dictated or wrote the order.But it should have been written on the MAR as soon as the DR. changed the order.

Are you new to this area of nursing?

Yeah, I dont get it In the hospital orders are checked with a FINE TOOTHED COMB before med rounds are started, why is it different in LTC?

I would think maybe in the hospitals orders are changed more frequently than in LTC.Personally I work in a residential center for kids,the DR. comes in every week,we transcribe the orders immediately with the medical orders to ensure we start the new order right away,as soon as we get the meds from the pharmacy.Im very conciencious with this because even a transcription error could be a med error.

Yeah, I dont get it In the hospital orders are checked with a FINE TOOTHED COMB before med rounds are started, why is it different in LTC?

Ive never worked in a hospital,only in nursing school.I have done LTC and yeah, a med pass can be at least three hours long.To me I felt that was the only care I gave sometimes.A Med pass takes so much time to begin with let alone checking each and every order.

This answers a lot of questions I have about LTC and checking physicians orders against MAR... I started LTC recently and the super told me that checking is not common practice, b/c med passes being so long, I just felt a little unsure b/c this is what I was used to.

I only chech the orders if there is a discrepancy or seem wrong to me (dose to high or low, odd medication, etc.

well, who is liable if there is an error?

well, who is liable if there is an error?

Whoever takes the order regarding changes to meds writes it in the MAR. We also have change over at the end of the month where we have to compare the docs orders to the mars and update, d/c, make changes etc. There is no way the med pass could be done in a timely manner if you had to pull everyones charts and compare them to the mar on a daily basis. We have one hour before and one hour after to stay in compliance with state regs. Also, add to the interuptions, phone ringing off the hook, families etc etc.....

Wendy

LPN