What do you do when...

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what do you do when a patient asks "what are you giving me?" i was told you always refer all questions to the dr. never tell a family member anything. actually i was told you can't even tell them the patients bp. what do you do: go in say here are your meds and then leave? :)

Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

This would come under patient education for us; we are required to document patient education on medication (among other care issues) prior to their discharge.

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

As a patient, I'd be very upset if my nurse refused to tell me my BP or what meds she was giving me. I think it might even render me "uncooperative". :chuckle I have always wanted to know as much as possible about what was going on with my body.

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

I appreciate when patients ask about their meds. It keeps me on my toes, because I should be able to tell them who-what-when-where-why. I also have always given VS info. Maybe you could clarify with whoever told you not to give out the info--the patient has the right to know. If you told them to wait & ask the doctor, they'd be waiting an awful long time!

Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Ditto. It's the patients right to know what's going on! Like someone else said, keeps me on my toes. We have extensive med sheets we fill out for meds, including drug interactions, side effects, O/P/D, dosages... And like someone else said, patients will catch drug errors... "I've never taken the blue pill before" and my fave "I was on digoxin at home" EEEK! Not on it in the hospital...that was caught quickly by a fellow student (it was her pt), and an order was written prompty for it. I always tell my patients, "This is your (IV medicine, insert drug name here), and it's for your infection" or "for you BP" etc. -Andrea

We were taught that the patient's have to sign a release stating if their information may be released to their family members or not. Also...we were taught that there are 7 rights of medication administration:

1. Right Route

2. Right Drug

3. Right Dose

4. Right patient

5. Right Time

6. Right to refuse

7. Right to information

Actually, at my school we're supposed to tell the patient what we're giving them, what it's for, and any common adverse effects or other pertinent information. Now if the patient's family asks, that's another story d/t HIPPA...

Yes! Same at my school and it's even hospital policy where I do my clinics. Nurses can get written up for withholding a patient's right-to-know.

Specializes in Med-Surg.
Where did that information come from? That's a throwback to the past when patients were the last people to know about their status. When we take vitals, we tell them their BP and their temp, even if it's out of the norm. When I pour meds, I do it in front of the patient and tell them what their getting and what it's for. Now if a patient asks me if his morning MRI revealed cancer, that is something else. If I'm not mistaken, that falls into the realm of the practice of medicine.

Nursing is heavily involved in educating patients about their conditions and knowledge is the key.

The difference may be due to what a nurse is supposed to do and what a nursing assistant is supposed to do.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Agree with the others, always tell you patients what meds they are getting and their vital signs. Answer any questions they have about their meds and tell them why they are getting them.

You also mentioned family members in your post. If a family member asks questions I usually turn to the patient and ask if it's o.k. to give the information to the family member.

I always tell my patients what meds they are getting- oral or IV. A couple of times this has really helped when the patient has told me -"The doctor told me I wasn't going to be getting this anymore". Found out later that in these cases the drug had been d/c'd days before but the nurse forgot to d/c it or pull the carbon. It is like an extra check for me. Also gives me a chance to explain what the drug is for if the patient is unsure.

I do however become very vague about test results if I think the patient or family will take something out of context or will demand to know what the doctor is going to do, what the plan is, ect. I refer them to the doctor because I have been burned by this before.

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