Letting CNA pass your meds, bad idea?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I fill the cups and check for all interactions and whatnot, but anyone have any negative experiences or can think of any possible neg exp with this?

Thanks

I work in an ER as a Tech II ( IV's,Bloods,Foleys,Splints Etc..) In my experience as a Tech have I been asked to adminster meds before.. yes. Have I done it, absolutely not. I have no Idea what medication they are handing me and I am certainly not going to push it. As Mentioned several times in this thread, Do people forget about their license ? I previously worked in an acute psychiatric unit where my nurse manager Handed me a medicine cup of pudding and said it had trazadone in it and to give it to so and so. I just simply responded "I don't feel comfortable doing that let me find a Nurse that could help out" Not only is this a TOTAL disreguard for patient safety it is putting your Tech/CNA in an awful position. I thank God that I have enough common sense to be able to tell.. the nurse and Yes even My manager NO. What is scary that it is fairly easy to become an assistant and if I was newer and less familar with the healthcare industry... I would have probably done Whatever the nurse told me to do. Because if the nurse was telling me to do it... It had to be done... Right ? She wouldn't tell me to do something that was wrong... Right ? And Ultimately Remember CYA .... CYA Baby.. Because if something goes wrong.. You Are Responsible.

0 Votes

My eyes!

0 Votes

well that brings up an interesting question where I work. I work in a Long Term Care Unit at a seniors village. In LTC, I'm an RN and I pass my own meds. No problem there. I don't expect anyone else to do it for me. And it's not really that hard because we receive "strip packages". Of course we have to make sure they're all there and do the five rights.

But also at this village, we have what is called "supportive housing". Personal support workers go into the apartments and help the residents in there with washing, cleaning, cooking etc. They also hand out meds. I've never really considered it and I'm not sure how the PSW's can monitor someone's meds. Any thoughts on that?

0 Votes

As nurses we keep delegating our tasks. What will we have left to do to justify we are needed??

0 Votes
Specializes in med-surg, OB/GYN, pediatrics, geriatrics.

...and *where* is this practice of allowing CNAs to pass meds legal?

""Never attempt to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the

pig.""

RHeinlein

0 Votes

I only read the first couple of pages in this thread so somebody might have already asked this question i dont know. Is it all right in the state of IL as a nurse to put meds in applesauce and then ask a cna to feed them to a patient? This didnt happen to me but to another cna i work with. I told her she should have said hell no but i really dont know what the policies are.

Also, in Wisconsin, my mom, who had never done anything health related before in her life, took a job in a group home. She did two weeks of training and then was basically a cna but she also passed meds! The nurses measured them out and put them in cups with a patients name on them but she actually passed them when there was no nurse present! Tell me that that is not legal!

0 Votes

I Really Understand What You Are Saying, Cna's Should Not Pass Meds, I Am A Medication Aide, And Inrespone To The Lady About Stateing I Need To Suck It Up, Believe Me I Do Everynight, I Work Hard While The Nurse Talk On The Phone And Do Nothing. I Love My Job, And I Will Do My Job, If I Make A Misstake That Is On Me Not The Nurse. I Do Tell The Truth. But I Don't Think That It Is Fair For A Nurse, To Get Paid For 8 Hours To Do Nothing ,when It Is Her Job To Make Sure That The People Are Being Taken Care Of. I Tell My Nurse Everything I Do, I Sign Off On Everything I Do, Plus I Have A Shift Report I Make A Copy And Give To The Nurse Of Every Routine Med I Give And Every Prn Given. I Work The 10-6 Shift And So I Can Make That Kind Of Report Due To A Small Med Pass Of 4 Halls. So Thank You All For Your Input, I Know Now That My Respect For Nurses Hasn't Changed. Get Rid Of The Bad And Start With The New.

0 Votes
I only read the first couple of pages in this thread so somebody might have already asked this question i dont know. Is it all right in the state of IL as a nurse to put meds in applesauce and then ask a cna to feed them to a patient? This didnt happen to me but to another cna i work with. I told her she should have said hell no but i really dont know what the policies are.

Also, in Wisconsin, my mom, who had never done anything health related before in her life, took a job in a group home. She did two weeks of training and then was basically a cna but she also passed meds! The nurses measured them out and put them in cups with a patients name on them but she actually passed them when there was no nurse present! Tell me that that is not legal!

well i will at times ( work alzheimer's and dementia ) ask the cna to give the meds i have in the applesauce if i can not get the resident to take it - i am right there when they do it and am making sure they get it and swallow it and i have been told this is legal as long as i am there close by to watch - ofetn in dementia - just a change of staff can get the resident to take the meds. i do try several times before involving anyone else. i would never just set up the meds and hand em out for the aides to give out, especially if i were not there - unless they are med certified i would think it would not be legal for anyone to give it without direct supervision.

0 Votes
Specializes in Cardiac, ER.
...and *where* is this practice of allowing CNAs to pass meds legal?

""Never attempt to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the

pig.""

RHeinlein

I'm with you Franny,..I've been watching these posts from the begining,.this is the most absurd thing I've ever heard,..who in their right mind would ask a CNA to administer medication?? I can't believe any responsible CNA would ever do it??? I can't believe any RN, or student for that matter, would ever even think of such a thing!

0 Votes
I'm with you Franny,..I've been watching these posts from the begining,.this is the most absurd thing I've ever heard,..who in their right mind would ask a CNA to administer medication?? I can't believe any responsible CNA would ever do it??? I can't believe any RN, or student for that matter, would ever even think of such a thing!

at this link defines delegation - http://drl.wi.gov/dept/papers/pap05.pdf in the state of wisconsin - i feel totally confident that i may utilize my aides as one to help me get a med down a resident as long as i am there - for one thing i always let my aides know what they are giving ( if they dont know what its for i do teach them about the meds - they for the most part are very good at wanting to learn. ) i also know they have experience as they have been doing it supervised - working a dementia unit one needs to do whatever one can to get the job done and if it be asking the aides to help and theya re willing - it isnt a problem in my understanding of the rules at this site. the only thing they are doing is help me get the med in due to residents refusal to allow me to give it - i am the one who evaluates tjhe response or effectiveness of the med and i am also the one monitoring if they get the med into the resident as i am right there. just my interpretation -

0 Votes

I just had this happen at the facility where I work. :uhoh3: This one night I was working on the sub-acute unit and the nurse on the LTC unit had asked the aides on her floor to give a few meds. A BIG NO-NO~!! I told the aides not to do it. I was shocked this nurse of many years would actually give medications to the aides to give, but she did. I think she's becoming senile. She omits some meds and doesn't sign off stuff. She sent a resident out 911 without any info the other night.

This question may have been asked before but, how would an aide with no eduction on pharmacology giving medications know not to crush meds like KCL or Oxycontin? This just sounds like bad practice to me.

The situation with a nurse allowing an aide to give a med to an Alz. pt. that is resistant to taking a med from her, but will take it from the aide. I see no issue with that if the nurse is standing right there and the meds never left her sight. I think in any other situation this would not be appropriate.

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

twotrees2, the link you posted clearly states:

"As stated in N6.03(3) an RN shall (a) Delegate tasks commensurate with educational preparation and demonstrated abilities of the person supervised. Although the administration of a healthcare facility or organization may suggest which nursing acts should be delegated and/or to whom the delegation may be made, it is the RN who makes, and is ultimately responsible for making, the decision whether and under what circumstances, the delegation occurs. If an RN knows or should have known that the person supervised is not prepared by education, training or experience to safely perform a delegated nursing act, the RN may not delegate the task."

An aide is NOT prepared by education, training or experience to safely administer medications, therefore this task cannot be delegated.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment