CNAs give medications

[Beaue]

Where should the line be drawn with CNA distributing medication with six month or less of training. When I worked as CNA at assistant living, the CNA with a month of training distributed medication to residents. Even with some training, still dangerous for CNA to give medicine. We charted the medicine on the resident's chart after giving the medicine. Every CNA is not responsible enough to give out medicines, which is another big problem. Believe assistant living homes are one of the worst things that could have happened in America. This rule need changing to only LPN and RN or higher can distribute medications. i saw so many times where someone gave a person the wrong medicine. Even know a girl fired from three places for making this mistake. What do you think of this?

[BSN16]

They are CNA with 3 months of training. A CNA can farther their education with another 3 to 6 months in school to become a PCT, Patient Care Technician. PCT's can do vitals, bladder scans, draw blood, remove catheters, do EKGs and any other type duties.

When i was an aid i was able to be trained on job to do these tasks. there was no amount of time or no amount of job experience i needed to do this.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Maybe this, like so many other things, differs from state to state. CNA's in WI can pass medications with additional training. It's a rather short med administration course. They are usually employed in Assisted Living and some of the local Home Health agencies. None of the LTC facilities utilize med aids around me, but that doesn't mean they aren't utilized in LTC in different areas of the state.

Wondering what state this 3-6 month PCT course is utilized in ? I've never heard of such a thing.

[Glycerine82, LPN]

Med techs make me nervous.

Our meds come on roll packs for the most part, so each pill is in its own sleeve and they are all attatched, arranged by time and date they're due. We just pull them out and scan them, which truly is pretty simple.

The issue is that we still need to verify the dosages, and be sure the orders haven't been changed since the meds were put on the cart. I caught a double BP med order not too long ago, the higher dose hadn't been DC'd when a lower dose was ordered. I had to know first of all that the med was for blood pressure and secondly I had to use nursing judgement to not give both doses. I also had to know to take patients blood pressure and use judgement as to whether or not she could even have either dose, since that patient tends to run low.

Wouldn't expect a med tech to handle stuff like that.

[needlesmcgeeRN, ASN, RN]

I do not think CNAs or STNAs should be passing medications. Even when I worked with people with disabilities, and was delegated for med administration under our Nurse trainer's license - there were MANY co-workers who should not have been passing medications to the consumers. Medication administration is not just a task to get out of the way. There is critical thinking involved on some level.

[KeekesRenea]

CNAs should never be allowed to give any medications, despite however long they have been doing their jobs. CNA training does not consist of that and they do not know why or how a medication works. As far as the nursing side of medicine, medication administration should be left for the LPNs and RNs.

[verene, MSN]

As a CNA I passed medications when I worked in assisted living. Even with training I felt uncomfortable and scared doing it then, and now in nursing school I'm retroactively terrified that I was allowed to take on that much responsibility with no real understanding of what I was doing.

If facilities want CNAs to pass medications then med tech training needs to be substantially more comprehensive than what I received. I felt like being given minimal training and being allowed to pass medications I was saving my facility money at substantial risk to patients. Really wish they would have been required to hire LPNs or RNs instead of training (or not) the CNAs to pass medications.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

If facilities want CNAs to pass medications then med tech training needs to be substantially more comprehensive than what I received.

I totally agree...

I was a 19-year-old unlicensed direct care worker at a personal care group home for developmentally disabled adults back in 2000. After receiving a whopping eight hours of training, I administered their medications every morning for the very handsome wage of $8 hourly.

Looking back at the situation, I was passing Haldol, Zyprexa, Premarin and other medications without knowing what they were for.

[Beaue]

The program that Ialmost signed up for cost only 900.00 for the whole program. Somethinglike that. It was years back so can't remember the exact amount. GladI backed out of it. I posted the link for the place. It was a longdrive for me so didn't do it. What is your opinion on this?

Home

[OliverElio87, BSN, RN]

I don't think CNA's should be allowed to give prescription based medications. However, in a LTC facility I think it should be fine to be abe to give certain over-the-counter type meds like eyes drops, tums/pepto, vitamins, etc. I think these are items that are used frequently at home and I don't see why CNA's should not be allowed to administer them once verified by the nurse. I work as a PCT, and also in nursing school, and I had a patient who wanted me to administer his eye drops for dry eyes, but since I can't administer any medication I had to find the nurse who was extremely busy with a confused patient.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

But PCTs do not administer medications.

Some nursing homes hire QMAs. Qualified Medication Aides. They have been trained and certified to pass meds.

In my state, they're called Med Techs and can pass meds at Assisted Living Facilities.

[Beaue]

When my schizophrenic uncle lived at in assisted living, he never received medicine correctly by the staff. After missing even one dose of medicine, The challenge of getting him back on schedule was tough. I loved giving medicine because it's something I was able to learn before I got into nursing. Some people are not responsible enough to give medications.

[Wuzzie]

Please clarify something for me. I understood the ALF term to mean facilities that are primarily separate residences within a building that have additional staff and services available to assist when necessary. Are med-passes common in these types of facilities?