Forgetting to waste meds

Published

I've been working for nearly 8 months now as a new nurse on a neuro floor. I mostly care for stroke, spine surgery, and altered mental status patients, so I do give out quite a few narcs and benzos. But I've been doing a bad job of remembering to waste my meds. I haven't heard anything from my manager about this, but I'm worried sick that I'm going to lose my license over this. Will I reported to my BON? I've tried to be more conscientious of wasting but most times my shifts are busy and I completely forget (I know it's no excuse). I guess I just want to hear from anyone who's been in the same situation, and I'd like to be prepared for what could happen. Thanks

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

You could end up getting away with it, or you could already be in big trouble. You won't know if they've been gathering documentation on you until the DEA shows up at your work one day. Either way, you need to change your habits NOW! I put an alarm on my phone to remind me to waste my narcotics at the end of my shift. Or, if I'm working with a friend, we remind each other. Put a big red flag on your "Brain Sheet." Find a reminder that works for you and then use it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Where i work you waste immediately, as soon as you get it ready to give. before you give the dose to the patient, you waste.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Waste immediately with a second nurse and do not mess around without taking care to do this immediately. You will get in trouble. It's your license!

Agreed. Waste immediately, before you medicate the patient. No one is going to die if there's a slight delay in getting a prn, but you could find yourself in a world of hurt for not documenting properly.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
This is SO not true! There are many nurses who are reported and have tier license disciplined for improper documentation/wasting of narcotics.

OP you need to change this habit NOW!

You could end up getting away with it, or you could already be in big trouble. You won't know if they've been gathering documentation on you until the DEA shows up at your work one day

Exactly...if you're going home with forgotten-to-waste drugs, you are in possession of controlled substances.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

When I worked in the hospital, you could not remove a narcotic from the pyxis without a second nurse's fingerprint if the order was less than the full dose to be removed. So you have a patient who's getting 1 mg of morphine (peds). The vial is 2 mg/mL. You select that med and the pyxis says "are you giving full 2 mg?" You say no and then it will not let you proceed until a second nurse witnesses. If you say yes and do not go back and waste the other 1 mg with a second nurse by the end of your shift, it would definitely be flagged in a pharmacy audit, which would not be good for you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

You're playing with fire. I can only imagine the panic I'd feel the first time I realized I had drugs that needed to be wasted that I hadn't done yet. But you have this happen over and over again. Something is seriously wrong here. Either with your story or you yourself. You REALLY put your job on the line time and time again yet still "can't remember" to waste what you need to? Personally I believe that a sticky note isn't going to do it, you're far beyond that tip. Sorry to sound so harsh, but I just don't believe a nurse is that scatterbrained that she continually "forgets" to do this important step....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My hospital has an auditing computer program. This sort of activity would very likely result in termination. You must waste narcs immediately (forthwith!). Do not wait until the end of your shift. Maybe you should come clean to your manager before she comes to you, just to be proactive. Otherwise it smacks of diverting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OBGYN.

maybe set up an alarm on your phone to remember to waste the meds.. don't lose your license over something like that

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Why are are you jeapordizing your source of income because that is exactly what you are doing? There is no valid excuse for not following the waste rules for narcotics. It is your professional responsisbility to perform this nursing function each and every time and you must find a wya to remember it based upon what works for you. Personally, I never needed any tricks to remember...it is the rule and I followed it because I like food and a roof over my head!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion