How long does it takes a 11-7 nurse to pass medication.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2017

I work the 11-7 shift with 36 patients and I get started at 1 am and not finished until about 6 am everyone gets medication of some kind and accuchecks.

I had 68 residents back when I worked the 11 to 7 shift.

There was one light medication pass at midnight and a larger one at 6:00am. It took about 90 minutes to complete the midnight med pass (from 11:30pm to 1:00am), and two hours to finish the 6:00am medication pass (from 4:30am to 6:30am).

I had about nine g-tube residents, 10 residents who received midnight meds, and 30+ residents who received 6:00am meds (mostly Synthroid and Prilosec). During the midnight pass, I passed medications as well as changed the tube feeding formula bottles, feed syringes, and G-tube gauze dressings.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2017

What are you giving at 1 am?? I would kick someone if they woke me up for meds.

We have 50. I might start at 5:30 am and be done at 7. This would be accu checks, synthroids, prilosec, iv meds and g tube feeds....probably for about 25 or so getting meds.

12 am pass was very light, but I would also change tubing, g tube dressings, IV meds, neb treatments....and probably be done 1 am -130.

amoLucia · Feb 21, 2017

The 6am med pass is the heavy one. And med pass is for med pass. DOH surveys would ZING us BIG TIME if we ever tried to combine meds, txs, equip changes, etc during our med passes. Our med carts were not supposed to be carrying anything other than meds and the few critical things needed for the med pass.

And besides, that cart was so dang heavy to push while carrying only the bare necessities. It certainly didn't need to be carrying any fluffy, 'unnecessary' items regardless how helpful when needed in a pinch! I would always be removing excess equip - there should NOT be any foley cath setups on a med cart. A few cans of Ensure & Glucerna & Nepro were OK but NOT dozens of cans. And NO treatment supplies. An occ item or 2 could be allowed, but that was limited. Even topicals were to be on the treatment cart.

I learned to set up some things like PICC line lab equip in the med room and have it ready to go! And I learned to pull out my refrigerated IV bags on time. Hardest thing was to coordinate finishing things on time on 11-7.

I did almost all of my tasks one at a time. Kind of assembly line process. Assembly line is what made Henry Ford's Detroit and the auto industry!

Combining everything only slows you down. HOW EVER could your meds be on time, or even reasonably close to on time?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2017

What are you giving at 1 am?? I would kick someone if they woke me up for meds.

In my case it was mostly controlled release narcotic medications that were scheduled every 8 hours for midnight, 0800 and 1600 (e.g. Oxycontin, MS Contin). The occasional nebulizer treatment was also scheduled for midnight.

The residents who received the narcotic analgesics actually demanded to be awakened so they did not miss a dose.

Tippyrn · Jun 17, 2017

Talk to manager, that many meds can not be necessary in the middle of the might.