Trying to get an idea if this is normal everywhere -
I'm working at a pediatric community health clinic in TX and a bit confused by the fixation here about expiration dates on supplies. It's discussed at this clinic ad nauseam.
Each month we're expected to go through every exam rooms and to check the expiration date on every item in the room. One manager has asked us to write out the (already printed) expiration date in sharpie to each individual alcohol square, which really seems excessive.
This is more of a curiosity than complaint. It's not a big deal. And I fully understand checking expiration dates on medications etc. but this feels like overkill.
Doing my supply check for this month and turns out, the alcohol pads still expire 04/2021, we still have another 4 yrs on the lube and 6 yrs on the gloves, same as we did last month.
I had personally never heard this topic mentioned when I was working in the hospital setting. Asked my group of girl friends who are nurses in different states and various settings and they were equally confused.
Is this expected everywhere? Did I just miss the memo about this topic at previous jobs? Is it a Texas thing? Or maybe it's particular to this clinic and management.
I agree. Do a master sheet with the gloves, lube, etc that have the expiration dates. Alcohol swabs cannot have the marker on them. That will seep through to the pad. Your supervisor is OCD. She is wasting your time.
Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.
I work at a hospital in Texas and we do not do anything of this sort and we get surveyed like anyone else. Seems like a waste of time and manpower that could surely be used in a more productive way.
The specific manager quoted the clinic group's policies (~20 clinic locations, ours is one of one of the smaller ones) and sure enough it is actually listed in the standard operating procedures. This surprises me too because we were cited for writing expiration dates on med packages (as instructed to do so). The wholething seems bonkers and glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Doing my supply check for this month and turns out, the alcohol pads still expire 04/2021, we still have another 4 yrs on the lube and 6 yrs on the gloves, same as we did last month.
?
36 minutes ago, stellabella236 said:
The specific manager quoted the clinic group's policies (~20 clinic locations, ours is one of one of the smaller ones) and sure enough it is actually listed in the standard operating procedures.
Making sure you don't have outdated patient care items in patient care areas is reasonable.
I agree. Do a master sheet with the gloves, lube, etc that have the expiration dates. Alcohol swabs cannot have the marker on them. That will seep through to the pad. Your supervisor is OCD. She is wasting your time.
Me thinks someone has gotten nailed for using or having expired items in a usage area...your manager needs to calm down
To OP - I think this quote really bespeaks the reasons for the absolutely ludicrous check. I'd bet that something like this was included in the facility's POC (plan of correction) and is being followed by all parties under the corp umbrella. It's what happens when a POC goes overboard and then it seems like the facility will never be able to get past it.
I worked at one facillity that had a secondary 'count' sheet in place when narcs were counted q shift. It arose because of narc discrepancies that were identified during a past survey.
A single outdated item normally wouldn't be much of a problem unless it was used (or might have been used) in a SIGNIFICANT situation. Thus the reason for the draconian checks.
I work outpatient and were expected to do this. Not to that extreme though, we don't write the expiration dates. We each have rooms assigned to us and every month we check the expiration dates of everything and write down what has expired.
I think that seems pretty excessive to write the date on each individual alcohol swab package, but the office I currently work in has us check on supplies at the end of the month. We go through all of our supplies and medications making sure we dispose of expired stuff.
Sounds like an incident happened with expired products? ?
That's unacceptable. If you're an RN, that is also a senseless waste of your patient care time, when this task could be delegated to a tech or other support staff. Even if you are a tech/CNA it is still misappropriating the use of your time and skills.
My facility is not that crazy, but on night shift (maybe once a month/every other?) our patient care techs will go through rooms and weed out expired products. Although they probably only do it because one of our docs take all the expired products and donate to the African village he frequents.
I wouldn't do it. When they asked why, I would explain that I was short staffed and trying to care for patients during an unsafe assaignments. ?
Gladys Miller
4 Posts
I agree. Do a master sheet with the gloves, lube, etc that have the expiration dates. Alcohol swabs cannot have the marker on them. That will seep through to the pad. Your supervisor is OCD. She is wasting your time.