How to chart missed meds

[Ng33]

Hey Guys

im a new nurse no experience working for agency for 2x now in LTC facilities of 28-30 pts. I can't seem to give all meds before shift is done haven't perfected time management yet. My question is how do we chart missed medications because we are running behind or nurse couldn't get to resident before end of shift? According to CNO we should report omitted meds however is this not expected of anyone who is new to the LTC home? I'm sure the DOC would be aware of this. I've asked other staff and all they tell me is be sure to give the meds but that's not reality. I have watched others and they say refused but that would be lying if I did that. There is no option to say because I was late and couldn't get to resident on time.Please help:(!

[JKL33]

I guess you could ask for some assistance with time management and see where that goes. Iit sounds like the problem isn't just you and your time management but also staffing. Some of your coworkers have decided to compensate for staffing by not providing care and falsifying records. Are you able to tell who might be a good resource for you amongst the nurses? Is there anyone who has a good routine and does a good job? Find that person and learn from them. If the majority of nurses are just flying through and pretending to do all the work...I don't know what to tell you. That's not good, and it won't bode well for you one way or another (either you'll have to keep reporting yourself for not finishing your med pass or you'll find unacceptable ways to make it look like you did complete your work).

You don't have a lot of good options in this scenario. Try to optimize your time management as much as possible. If the policy is that they want reports filled out for missed meds, you will have to do that. Look for a mentor. Also start looking for other jobs.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Having worked in the LTC environment I can tell you time management is the key. Are you using an electronic EMR? Many of them have settings to prioritize your med-pass. For instance I would com on at 3:30pm pull up my med-pass on the EMR and hit the Prioritize button. Blood sugar and BP checks came up first, followed by Insulins and time sensitive meds. It sure made things easier for me. You can also ask if the orders can be changed so that certain non-critical routines can be given later/earlier during less busy times of the shift. You can actually do it. The fact that other nurses at your facility are falsifying documentation is disturbing and not an environment I would want to work in.

Hppy

[MunoRN, RN]

Ideally you're able to give every single medication and on time, reality isn't always the ideal, in which case I chart "not given due to triaged workload".