Dilemma with Narcotic Med Count

Va rebelnurse · Feb 16, 2005

At what facility do you work where the DON actually works the floor?!!! Our's only comes out of the office to walk the hall - she hides in her office with the door closed when the units are really busy/understaffed!

proudmommielpn · Feb 16, 2005

Our DON worked the floor whenever necessary also, she was really helpful. She didn't schedule herself to work the floor but there were many times she came in to work the floor. She was one of a kind.

nurseangel78 · Feb 16, 2005

The only reason my DON was working is because there was nobody to cover 3rd shift, they just have hired a new nurse in training and she will go to 3rd once she is trained. Other than filling in, she probaly wouldn't have worked.

webblarsk · Feb 16, 2005

don't let her bully you.......if the count was correct and you both signed off........its no longer your problem.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2005

Looks like someone needs an inservice on how to count meds??

Why did you force her to sign her name?? Or is she assuming you snuck back in to work, stole the keys from her pocket and took the narcs? :angryfire

Fight her!

nurseangel78 · Feb 18, 2005

I talked to the DON's boss and he said "you're right, when you sign off that the count is correct you're not responsible for it after your shift has ended." My DON hasn't tried to contact me again, and if she does, she will get an earful from me.

TracyB,RN, RN · Feb 18, 2005

When I worked as DON, I wanted to pass meds & do patient care, at least once per week. But, I also got paid for working the floor, in addition to my salary.... Oh, the things I would find on those carts....but, it really helped to pinpoint some major problems that were going on & needed to be fixed... SO, for me, working the floor was a good thing. Even though I usually worked all day, then covering for someone who called off (the owner did not believe in agency... ughghg). I got tired of that gig really fast. I rarely saw my family b/c I was ALWAYS at work, or sleeping, the money was sweet, but it just wasn't worth the stress, missing my family, or the lack of support I got from upper management. I am MUCH happier as a regular old staff nurse & hardly ever get migraines anymore...go figure.

cursenurse · Feb 18, 2005

I work at a LTC facility as a new nurse for 2 months. I work 3-11 shift, well last night when the new DON came on to work 3rd, we did our narcotic med count as usual, the count came up correct, we signed it off and it was time to clock out. Well, I got a phone call this morning saying that the count wasn't right at 7am and that there was a Lortab missing. I told her that the resident's medicine it was missing from only got Ambien last night on my shift and of course I signed it off. I told her she didn't get any pain medicine. My question is has anyone else ever been in this suituation? My DON said well then "we have a problem". She has called twice this morning and asked me the same thing again. I told her over again that no, I didn't give her a pain pill. Could this jepordize my job, not to mention my nursing licenses, even knowing that I did nothing wrong. What if she tries to blame me for taking it???Should I be this stressed about it??

i had the same thing happen to me in a ltc. some morphine sulfate liquid was "missing" i had given roxanol for the same pt, not the morphine liquid. anyway the morphine sulfate bottle was sealed when i counted at the end of my shift and there was not a discrepancy until several shifts after i had counted. i kind of think that the regular morphine sulfate was inadvertently given by a nurse who did not own up to the mistake. i was asked to write a statement by the unit manager about whether or not the morphine bottle was open when i was there. i don't understand how you can be blamed for something that did not happen on your shift. if the oncoming nurse signs the narc sheet she/he is stating that there are no discrepancies. i recommend that you make a copy of the narc sheet if you can w/out other people knowing about it in case it gets "lost." it sounds like people on your job are trying to make trouble for you.

proudmommielpn · Feb 18, 2005

nurseangel78 I am glad to see that someone else other than yourself has got some sense. Congratulations on getting it all worked out. We all (the allnurses.com clan) knew you were in the right though. Honey, we got your back!:)

nurseangel78 · Feb 18, 2005

i had the same thing happen to me in a ltc. some morphine sulfate liquid was "missing" i had given roxanol for the same pt, not the morphine liquid. anyway the morphine sulfate bottle was sealed when i counted at the end of my shift and there was not a discrepancy until several shifts after i had counted. i kind of think that the regular morphine sulfate was inadvertently given by a nurse who did not own up to the mistake. i was asked to write a statement by the unit manager about whether or not the morphine bottle was open when i was there. i don't understand how you can be blamed for something that did not happen on your shift. if the oncoming nurse signs the narc sheet she/he is stating that there are no discrepancies. i recommend that you make a copy of the narc sheet if you can w/out other people knowing about it in case it gets "lost." it sounds like people on your job are trying to make trouble for you.

But wouldn't making a copy of the narc sheet be like a breech of confidentiality for the patient. It is a good idea, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't want to get into trouble for real. Ya know.

nurseangel78 · Feb 18, 2005

nurseangel78 I am glad to see that someone else other than yourself has got some sense. Congratulations on getting it all worked out. We all (the allnurses.com clan) knew you were in the right though. Honey, we got your back!:)

Thanks Proudmommielpn. Yes, it is nice to know that there are still some good, honest people in the world.:)

GingerSue · Feb 18, 2005

But wouldn't making a copy of the narc sheet be like a breech of confidentiality for the patient. It is a good idea, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't want to get into trouble for real. Ya know.

Couldn't you just make the copy - then blot out the patient's name - so that only the date, medication, dosage, amount remaining, and signatures are visible.