Help, My peer is using same med cups all week!

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I suspect the NOC RN uses the same med cups over and over. I have never seen this practice done before. We do a med pass of about 60-70 patients and this RN even stacks the cups up when he/she is done and hides them somewhere in our med room. At first I thought he kept them to help him do an audit or something. But then, on a shift I had late charting to do I noticed this nurse grab them put them on the med cart- and start going through out computerized MARs. (I am still notsure where they are hiding) He had one sitting on the MAR page and I said- Are those old cups-you cant reuse them, they are dirty! This RN took the entire cart to another room. All bent like I am some type of clean freak- Am I going nuts here or is stashing stuff away in a med room/ reusing med cups a bit weird?

PS- I will print your comments and leave them in his box- BUG

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I would want to know, if this is true, WHY?????

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Is he re-using the paper or the plastic ones? I guess it doesn't make any difference either way - it's a little weird, I guess - is this in LTC?

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If he was leaving them in the pt's room and reusing them that way for pills, that's fine....but his way he has no way of knowing who's lips touched which cup.....blech!

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does he have patients name on outside of cup?? i have seen nurses have a cup with a patients name on it and place a clean cup with meds pre-popped

this is a state no-no but it is better than reusing a dirty cup

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WHY would someone do this. It's not like it's a time saver or anything. But even if it was, yuch!!:nono:

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Maybe they ran out of med cups in the past and he was stuck trying to pass 60-70 meds without cups? Otherwise, I wonder if he's got names on them and is trying to save time by not re-writing the name on the cups when pre-pouring them. Of course, pre-pouring is a legal no-no but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, especially in LTC where the meds don't change much and where it's next to impossible to do a med pass properly in the time alotted. Finally, maybe he's concerned about throwing out so much plastic everyday and is trying to be eco-friendly. I'm not saying any of these justify the action, just that they might be reasons.

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Specializes in LTC, ALF DON, Admissions RN.

I have seen this done before, the nurse writes the names on the cups & sets up the meds before the med pass. I am certain that this an infection control issue as the pts. lips & hands are touching the cups & cross contamination occurs when they are nested together. Not a great idea & I really do not think it would be worth the risk.IMO

Lesi RN

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Yuck! However in homecare you can reuse but of course wash out with detergent & dry them ( and it's only the same one patient anyway)........but not in LTC..............that's just gross!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I was thinking the same thing as southernbelle. What an infection control nightmare, especially during flu/cold season. Maybe you should ask him if he would be willing to take meds from a cup that had been nested in the middle of those. If not, then he shouldnt be expecting anyone else to either. He needs to clean up his act, because if he is trying to cut corners there, imagine what hes doing that noone really sees.

OH bad thought,, does he use the same washcloth for each patient too? Leavin this thread now,, time for bed.. LOL

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OH bad thought,, does he use the same washcloth for each patient too? Leavin this thread now,, time for bed.. LOL

:uhoh3: :eek: :lol_hitti :barf01: :bugeyes: :smackingf

OMG......you may have a valid concern there now that you mentioned it......I cringe at that thought...lol..... Thanks for the laugh :lol2: (even though that is a scary thought)

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

All I have to say is EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

That is just gross.:trout:

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