Close Call

[Vito Andolini]

An aide asked the med nurse for some tylenol. Med nurse gave it. A few hours later, aide says she hadn''t taken the med but would do so before going to sleep. Why waiting? Tylenol makes her itchy and she is allergic to it so she has to take it only before bed. What? But anyway, Wow!

All that stuff they taught us in school about not practicing Medicine without a license was true! I guess it could be said that the med nurse did not actually prescribe or dispense or administer the tylenol. But did she question the aide about allergies or adverse results she'd previously experienced with tylenol? No, or she would not have given it to her, had the aide come clean. And there's no guarantee she would have. Liability for the nurse no matter how you slice it, I think.

The fact that acetaminophen is OTC really doesn't matter, does it? A good lawyer could have a field day at the nurse's expense.

Also, have you ever given a swig of Maalox to a coworker without really thinking about it? Or any other OTC meds? Just a reminder, if anybody even needs it, to be ever vigilant. The hard part is that we have to be strong enough to weather the criticism we might face for being too uptight. But uptight or not, we will keep our licenses and our homes if we follow the rules and do not waver. People need to breing their own antacid and pain meds, etc. Just like not being allowed to give a Qtip to clients, visitors, or anyone else for ear cleaning. Nothing smaller than the elbow, remember?

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

hi vito!! i have ran into this problem at times.. luckily we have a very nice pharmacy in my hospital that will dispense tylenol , maalox and even clariton, motrin to staff if needed... they told me they are glad to do that so the nurses don't feel put upon... i just call them and send the nurse down to the pharmacy or sometimes the pharmacy will bring the med up to the nurse who needs it.

that CNA sounds like a trip , why did she ask for tylenol if she was allergic to it? did i misunderstand that? why would she only take it before bed if it makes her itchy ? wouldn't that keep her up all night? why take it at all if you have a reaction to it?

so what if people think you are to uptight or not "going with the crowd", you have to be accountable to yourself.. these peoplewho think you are uptight don't sign your paycheck or gave you your license . who cares what they think...... you do what you feel is right . ...... the minute the people who think i am uptight , start signing my paycheck will be the time i start listening to them. other than that they can take a flying leap... don't dispense to anyone.. ever.. they can bring their own meds ,,,

my hubby is a lawyer , and he told me he wouldn't go after a nurse dispensing tylenol, but he thinks the board might... he is a Corporate lawyer and dosn't handle many medical cases , inless it's with a corporation , and then it's business and buying property and land , contracts ectra... he's a smart fella he is... after all he married me..lol...

i just think you should always stand by the rules of practice ... nurses are not allowed to dispense .. plain and simple.. the rules are there to protect us ..

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Years ago... one of my coworkers was not feeling well(flu like with nausea) so we sent her home in the am. Before she left, one of my other coworkers(good friends with the gal) took some Compazine (Zofran was not readily available then) out of the Pyxis and IM'd her for the car ride home.

Well.... about 15 mins later, sick coworker calls the unit and asks for her friend coworker and tells her "something is wrong with her" ... she had to pull the car over because "she couldn't close her mouth, her eyes rolled up in her head, and she was drooling all over herself"!

Then... friend coworker pulls some benadryl out of the pyxis and goes to rescue her!!:chuckle

Benadryl did the trick, of course, and now sick coworker lists Compazine as an allergy. All was dandy.... but I kept thinking- thank goodness I wasn't the one that shot her up!

Ya never know!!

[oramar]

Years ago... one of my coworkers was not feeling well(flu like with nausea) so we sent her home in the am. Before she left, one of my other coworkers(good friends with the gal) took some Compazine (Zofran was not readily available then) out of the Pyxis and IM'd her for the car ride home.

Well.... about 15 mins later, sick coworker calls the unit and asks for her friend coworker and tells her "something is wrong with her" ... she had to pull the car over because "she couldn't close her mouth, her eyes rolled up in her head, and she was drooling all over herself"!

Then... friend coworker pulls some benadryl out of the pyxis and goes to rescue her!!:chuckle

Benadryl did the trick, of course, and now sick coworker lists Compazine as an allergy. All was dandy.... but I kept thinking- thank goodness I wasn't the one that shot her up!

Ya never know!!

Whoa, that is way beyond anything I have ever seen anyone do. I remember 40 years ago walking into the nurses station and finding the manager(head nurse they were called back then) giving her husband a shot of penicillin in the butt. I have not seen anything like that or what the above poster describes in years. People are way to protective of their license to do stuff like that these days. At least that has been my experience.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Whoa, that is way beyond anything I have ever seen anyone do. I remember 40 years ago walking into the nurses station and finding the manager(head nurse they were called back then) giving her husband a shot of penicillin in the butt. I have not seen anything like that or what the above poster describes in years. People are way to protective of their license to do stuff like that these days. At least that has been my experience.

yeah.... I was a young pup and these two had been around the block- I will never forget that experience- because I learned what never to do! Now, I look back and laugh because all was ok in the end, but it could have been a disaster!

[debi49]

Sounds like the women who took compazine was having extra-pyramidial symptoms. Compazine is in the same family as thorazine and can produce the same side effects.