Crushing meds?

[Macbs4]

What do you use to crush meds? Do you bring your own crusher to work? Can you ever find the pill crusher in the Med Room? If there is one, has it been rinsed out by the prior user?

I've resorted to using my reflex hammer to pound a pill in its packet! My Peds clinical teacher showed me the trick of using my forceps to crush the pill inside its packaging, too!

Wouldn't it be nice if meds were packaged already crushed?

[CoffeeGeekRN]

Your facility doesn't provide pill crushers? My hospital keeps them in the supply room and each patient gets their own if it is needed.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

There is a pill crusher on the market where you place the pill to be crushed in a small plastic pouch/bag. Then you place it in a slot on the crusher and it crushes it in its own little bag...NO chance of ever transferring any unwanted medication form another pill....I have found that if you just keep requesting what you need in a nice way...you usually get it.....try requesting it.....they are really cheap and a great tool

[redbeans]

There is a pill crusher on the market where you place the pill to be crushed in a small plastic pouch/bag. Then you place it in a slot on the crusher and it crushes it in its own little bag...NO chance of ever transferring any unwanted medication form another pill....I have found that if you just keep requesting what you need in a nice way...you usually get it.....try requesting it.....they are really cheap and a great tool

that is the kind that they have where we are doing our clinicals. you put the pill in a little pouch before you crush it,i have yet to use it as we start going to clinical this week.

[Journey_On, BSN, RN]

We have this device called the Silent Knight (at least, that's what it says on it). I don't like it very much, though it does work.

We used to have a hammer, but it's gone now. I wonder if it was too noisy?

Now I prefer to use a can of Optimental. :) It works just like the hammer, just have to be careful not to get your fingers too close!

I crush the meds while they are still in their packets.

[Charmander]

We have a handy-dandy screw down to crush-crusher.... have no idea what it's called, but it works really well and is quiet. Every patient has one in their room. I've never noticed it wasn't clean when I went to use it- I assume it's new for each patient. I also worked with a Nurse who carried a pair of small pliers in his pocket for quick crushing in the bag. Worked great- sometimes it's the simplest things... :) I do tend to make sure the pills are crushed super fine for KO tubes and mix in warm water to be sure they are dissolved...

[LaceyRN]

Ha-Ha, our "pill crusher" is a bent-up can of Campbell's tomato soup!

If it's missing from the med room, a small babyfood jar of applesauce will work in a pinch. :)

[scoochy]

I don't like to use the "Silent Knight" either. I find that I don't have enough "muscle" needed to crush the meds with this device.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I don't like to use the "Silent Knight" either. I find that I don't have enough "muscle" needed to crush the meds with this device.

the way it is designe, this shouldnt be an issue. Are you trying to crush too many at a time? or perhaps trying to crush something that is not meant to be crushed?

[Macbs4]

LOL Sehsun!