Healthcare Facilities running out of medications + supplies

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

We ran out of Fentanyl drips in the entire hospital a couple of days ago. With 24 patients in my unit alone on Fentanyl drips, mostly for vent sedation, I heard more vent alarms going off at once than I ever have because all of the patients were waking up simultaneously and feeling very uncomfortable. It was ridiculous. I now have to pose this question to the crowd...

What is the dumbest thing your unit has ever run out of? Did you cry, laugh hysterically, or both?

[FineAgain]

We have run out of alcohol wipes due to a "national shortage". Really??? We are out of stuff all the time; LR was the latest one. All of my patients of course were on LR and I had to get them all changed.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Linens. We had a storm and our linen delivery couldn't get it. We had a directive to use lots of disposable pads and do no unnecessary bed changes. The aids were thrilled not to have to make beds!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

there was a national shortage of normal saline recently and I know various drugs, especially those sourced form the rain forests (SOlumedrol) have times when they are short. It is not always the hospital's fault but of course poor planing is a bad way to manage

[SilleLu]

Colostomy bags.

[kool-aide, RN]

With a huge influx of critical care pts in my area we ran out of premixed levophed drips....so the pharmacy was mixing them for us. We also ran out of mouth care supplies for vented pts.

[fawnmarie, ASN]

We were out of IM Thorazine for several weeks in a psychiatric hospital!

[Nurse Molly]

Our facility runs out of supplies all the time. Gloves , accucheck strips.

[Nibbles1]

The place I used to work at ran out of soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, towels, food, and even hot water for three days. The hot water tank died. We had an influx of MRSA during the three weeks we were out of soap. Several of us went to BBW during their 75% sale and bought soap for us. I quit two months later after an infestation of rolly-polies and roaches invaded the hallways.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

We have ran out of normal saline, iv tubing, incontinence pads, and other things we shouldn't run out of.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

there was a national shortage of normal saline recently and I know various drugs, especially those sourced form the rain forests (SOlumedrol) have times when they are short. It is not always the hospital's fault but of course poor planing is a bad way to manage

Yup, my first thought was NS. We were having to beg it from the floors.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

In my travels, I have witnessed running out of:

Colostomy bag supplies;

Gloves;

Temperature probe supplies;

Linen;

Enteral feeds;

Clothing for residents-no bueno when they needs clothes and are going out of the facility!

I work at a facility that locks up supplies and only several people have the key and do stock; not even a supervisor has a key, and they all work day shift, so when night shift has to do tasks that need supplies and there aren't none, that can be a rock in a hard place.