Help!!!Too slow with med pass

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2014

My first job was LTC. Med passes are just a matter of practice. Knowing the resident. Knowing their meds. Knowing where everything is on the cart and in the med room.

It's so stressfull. I have no advice. Just know that it does get easier.

Eventually you'll be able to complete the med passes as quickly as your co-workers

rkc003 · Feb 27, 2014

Thank You for your response. I'm just worried that my employer will fire me before I get the chance to increase my speed. :coldfeet:

sjbrk · Feb 27, 2014

What shift are you on? I work as a med aide at an ALF and tried to start out on day shift. Way too many meds/residents! Could not get it done on time. Went to evening shift - less meds, more time to pass them. Now I'm speedy quick and can and do float to day shift as needed. But definitely needed the time to learn residents, routines, etc...

joemomma35 · Feb 27, 2014

I wondered this at first when I was brand new. I've only been an RN for four months, but now I fly through my med passes...particularly when I know my patients and the unit. You just have to gain experience with it; knowing your patients, knowing where the medicine is, etc. Make sure you establish a good relationship with your manager, show them improvement over time, and with some practice you will be fine.

TriciaJ, RN · Feb 27, 2014

rkc003 - Check out a thread in long term care in Specialities. Those nurses address the workloads and med passes in LTC. Their posts may be of interest to you. Good luck.

MandieeRN · Feb 27, 2014

I need tips with how to finish my med pass more quickly. I have just started in a LTC Facility and I have 42 rsd to pass meds to. It takes me 5 hrs by the time I finish my first pass its time to start my next one. I don't have time to do my tx and barely time to finish my documentation. I am afraid I'm going to get fired!!!! I don't know how the other nurses finish in under 3 hrs. with the first med pass. Any suggestions would be appreciated[/quote']
It gets better! The nurses who have been working LTCs for a longtime can get the job done quicker. You will get there. It took me about a year to become quick now I'm fast in every LTC care setting it just takes time. Just don't rush this is how med errors happen. Hang in there! :)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2014

Time management is the key.

With a 3 hour (a.k.a. 180 minutes) window allotted for a medication pass, you can spend no more than four minutes on each resident. Be mindful of your time constraints when passing meds. Good luck to you!

mitral · Mar 5, 2014

It really does get easier & faster with practice. A lot of the same meds you will be giving over and over and so you will actually begin to memorize the packaging, thus making it easier to pick out and you learn the fastest way to open. You will know who you have to bring applesauce into and who only will take theirs if they have milk so you get that stuff ready ahead of time and spend less time bargaining. One thing I had to learn was any other task, even chatting and socializing with the pt usually has to wait; you often just need to power through that med pass then you can back and meet less urgent needs later. LTC facilities are always looking for nurses and also know what a huge chore the med pass is(!!!) so I wouldn't worry about job security at all if I were you!