Giving tylenol to a family member.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 19, 2010

no. i have no problem at all with reading comprehension and your statement that "the majority" understood the post is presumptive and unfounded. the most pleasant emoticon doesn't disguise the snark. either be snarky or don't be. have some guts.

speaking of snarky . . . .

a friend of mine took care of a young woman with liver failure a few years ago. the woman was out on a 3 day bender, and had a helluva headache when she finally sobered up. she took a couple of extra strength tylenol for the headache and within a day had bruising and petechiae all over her body. at first she thought she'd "fallen down" when she was drunk, but continued to develop more and more bruising. when she finally showed up at the er, she was in liver failure. from (she claimed) two extra strength tylenol after a three day drunk.

now imagine that she'd sobered up just in time to come in and visit her sick mother, and she'd asked you for a tylenol. still think it's so benign? i learned years ago not to take blood pressures, blood sugars or medicate the visitors. either they provide their own otc meds, they go buy their own otc meds or they bum them off someone in the waiting room -- not a good idea where i work. if that's not good enough, i'm happy to direct them to the er. that may be "inhuman" or "inhumane", but it makes my license a whole lot safer and i'm adhering to my hospital's policy.

you have to draw the line somewhere -- no otc meds for visitors is a lot easier than "maybe sometimes if i like the visitor and they seem reasonable". that can come back and bite you in the nether regions, and i know a couple of people that actually happened to.

totally_nuts · Sep 19, 2010

I think the other nurse is correct.. I will keep a watch on this post to see what others' say.. Yes, even if it is OTC we can not offer or suggest a medication.. I would not chance it. It can be considered prescribing and that is outside our scope of practice.

The OP didn't suggest the medication. The person asked for what she wanted by name so how can that be prescribing something?

I would have given it someone too.

OCNRN63, RN · Sep 19, 2010

I don't know if this is an urban legend, but years ago I heard JC reviewers tried this stunt on nurses to see if they'd "bite." I wouldn't put it past JC to do it.

I wouldn't have given the woman the Tylenol. It sounds harsh, but you never know what can happen, and it's just not worth risking your license. People are so litigious these days.

scibruin · Sep 19, 2010

I am a new grad RN and because my instructors always insisted on CYA (cover your actions) I wouldn't have given this woman tylenol. As much as I would like to help the poor woman with a HA I couldn't get past giving someone a medication OTC or not at my workplace. Nurses are nurses on the clock and off. I respect your decision and see it as brave but as for me I wouldn't do it.

PatMac10,RN, RN · Sep 19, 2010

So I just got home from work and I had a frustrating incident. A family member asked if I had some tylenol for her. She had a headache and her husband was very sick and it was 2am. I told her I probably had some in my purse. When I mentioned it to one of the older RNs she said it was outside of my scope of practice because I was then "prescribing"??? It was my own personal supply of tylenol, its an over the counter medication, it was an adult who had a headache, I had already clocked out and was getting ready to leave. I gave it to her despite this other RN telling me I could lose my license. Was I wrong? I live in the state of Texas, I've read my NPA and I intepret it much differently than she did. Thoughts? Advice?

Ok, How is this prescribing again??? If that's prescribing then a lot of people in NC would be on chargefor practicing medicine without a license.

First, she was your family member and you were off work.

Second, RN's here can suggest over the counter drugs. (But, it your case, she asked you for some so that's besides the point.)

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, to Prescirbe means:

1.) to designate or order the use of as a remedy

You didn't order the use of it, she asked for it and you gave it to her. Even if you were at work (in NC at least) as long as you suggest (ex. YOU could try some tylenol every so often..... and then consult your PCP asap.... or something to that effect) it wouldn't be out of your scope of practice. Just be careful, many nurses on here have that same ability to reccomnd OTC drugs, but if they are at work they refer the patient or client to the MD, which makes since for legal reason, (Ex. the patient could absent mindedly say you told them to take such and such every such and such, instead of saying you suggested such and such.) But, in the end, always refer to your states Nursing Practice Act and your facilities policies.

If my family asked for some tylenol for a HA of something similar, and I'm in the appropiate setting.......Guess what? I'm going to do like you and give it to them.

Doing it without knowing what other drugs they might be on and being on the job can be risky, even if you are off the clock though.

Up2nogood RN, RN · Sep 19, 2010

Patmac-

please read the OP closely and you would understand she was at work.

PatMac10,RN, RN · Sep 19, 2010

Nursing students not doing CPR?? WHAT??? Remind me not to go to that hospital. Yikes!

Most, but not all, of the facilities that my prospective NS do clinicals at have that policy. It makes no sense to me either. If they are certified and they can save someones life, by all means "let it rip"!

- Tittytat

I did go back and reread her post after seeing some of the comments and included an add-on. Thanks, I was skim reading and didn't consider the situation fully. I think I would have hesitated doing it while in my work place even if I wasn't on the clock.

KSU-SN · Sep 19, 2010

I understood the post perfectly fine the first time I read it....TakeOne, I hope you are not as negative and unhappy as your posts make you out to be. Geez. I think you just want to start trouble but instead you just made yourself look less than intelligent.

allnurses Guide · Sep 19, 2010

There are times, despite the hell traffic, the smog, and the crowding in the city I call home, I say a silent thank you that here, you're never more than a couple blocks away from a 711 store (where you can buy two of just about anything on the planet for 5x the regular price) or a 24hr drugstore.

My first instinct would've been to say sure, because I tend to trust and find it hard to grasp that someone's stressed out relative with a headache could or would sue me for giving them a Tylenol. I haven't yet faced that situation, but I don't think I will be giving family members anything from my purse supply. Most people would say, "oh, I totally understand" if I didn't give 'em a Tylenol, I'm sure. But we'd both feel kinda crappy that there are people in the world who's behavior taints ours, of necessity.

mtdnk · Sep 19, 2010

Out of scope of practice, period. Administration of a medication requires a valid LIP order. The bottom line is that you are a licensed professional nurse, not just "Sally from down the block". If something were to happen and the other person reports you had given the medication to them (it is medication, you know?).....well, the rest is self-explanatory.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2010

After waking up and thinking more about this situation, some ideas have come to mind. I think its a matter of role confusion: the role of nurse and role of average citizen. The part I disagree with is that it is prescribing and "outside of my scope of practice" according to the NPA in the State of Texas. I did look to see if we had a policy at our hospital and was unable to find one. Almost everyone responding has made some valid arguments both ways. I appreciate everyone who was trying to be helpful and who did so in a kind and respectful manner.
I agree with whoever said it was better to go the decent human being route. I'm not going to live my life with fear of being sued and having my license taken from me. I'll take my chances with the tylenol. I'll let you know if it gets me sued someday

I understand your decision but think you are walking on thin ice in deciding the way you have. See the post below about the woman with liver failure that could be used by a good lawyer to lay the blame on the nurse who gave her Tylenol. I say to you again, do NOT give any meds to visitors, OTC or not, even if you like the visitor. If she chokes on the pill, if she aspirates the pill, if she gets mad at you and files a complaint about you, if the moon should fall out of the sky and hit her on the head just as she's taking the Tylenol you gave her - you might live to regret medicating her. As someone points out above, a nurse is a nurse whether on duty or off and that is the standard to which you will always be held.

Why not check with your Risk Managers and DON to get their take on this? But don't admit to them that you have already done this - just say that the issue comes up from time to time and you need to know the hospital's policy on giving any meds to a non-patient. And check with your state BORN. Also, familiarize yourself with the Good Samaritan laws in your state. Again, I say to you that you are on thin ice. I know you mean well and I agree that it seems like making a mountain out of a molehill, but take it from those of us who are advising you to think of your license first.

Flying ICU RN · Sep 19, 2010

Out of scope of practice, period. Administration of a medication requires a valid LIP order. The bottom line is that you are a licensed professional nurse, not just "Sally from down the block". If something were to happen and the other person reports you had given the medication to them (it is medication, you know?).....well, the rest is self-explanatory.

Additionally, what I am trying to relate to the membership in posts 18 and 30, is that opposing council in such a scenario would place doubt on precisely "what" medication was administered, eluding to the possibility of further unnecessary harm. The primary focus however, would have been an unqualified provider and a missed opportunity for proper standard of care.

Folks, let me tell you that I understand and admire the mindset of the ambulance chasers, my mind is likewise wired so I use that to my advantage in practice. It is only by happenstance that I became a nurse.

Judge for yourselves, heres my graduation picture from nursing school.