Giving meds you did not pour

[mindymanders]

I oriented in a facility where an LPN pours all the medications then the RNs are expected to pass the medications. I'm uncomfortable with this; not that she is an LPN but that I would be expected to pass medications someone else poured. I don't think I will accept the position because of this situation. Is this common practice? Am I way off base?

[djh123]

That's weird - I've never heard of it, and I'd be uncomfortable with that too. (And as an aside, thanks/kudos for saying 'oriented' instead of 'orientated' :^).

[needlesmcgeeRN, ASN, RN]

I would NEVER administer medications that I didn't prepare myself. I don't care if it was prepared by my Mom, a critical care nurse with nearly 30 years experience. NOPE.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Wow...that sounds like a disaster. We're not even supposed to pre-pour meds we will administer ourselves -- too much room for error. You're supposed to pick the right cup out of all of the cups of unlabeled meds? And trust that nobody bumped a cup, knocking it over and losing a med under the desk?

No way.

[SunnyPupRN]

This is a small geripsych hospital. I was told one nurse pours the meds then a different nurse administers the meds on each of the 12 hour shifts. The DON with whom I interviewed is a former state inspector and this fact made me wonder if this procedure has become acceptable. I witnessed the nurse writing the patients name on the med cups then placing the cup on a table in the nurses station. She pulled up insulins but did not label the syringes. The nurse assigned to the patient will then collect the meds and administer the meds without verification. Common nursing sense tells me this cannot be the correct way to do things! I oriented on day shift last week and am orienting on night shift tonight (which is my shift of choice). If I see that this is the procedure on night shift I will not accept the position.

INSULIN!nope

nope nope nope

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I would NEVER administer medications that I didn't prepare myself. I don't care if it was prepared by my Mom, a critical care nurse with nearly 30 years experience. NOPE.

I trust mom with MY life... not other peoples. That responsibility is up to me.. she taught me that.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I knew of a LTC facility for Nuns that had this practice. The NOC shift put each resident's meds in their own pill dispenser that was divided by time. This was done ONCE A WEEK! Can you imagine all of the errors? Thankfully that practice ended there (or at least that is what I've been told). I wouldn't do it.