How many residents do you pass meds too in Assisted Living?

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

I was just wondering what is the most residents you have passed meds to in Assisted living?

I currently started a new job in an assisted living facility and I pass meds to 60 residents.

It takes me about 4 hours to set them up (I am new to this) and about 1 1/2 hours to hand them out. The residents come to the nurses station for their meds.

I was giving out meds tonight and just about "died" when I thought I gave the wrong pills to a resident:eek:. Turns out the resident did not show up for 5pm meds so there were two cups of meds to give. The horror I felt in that instant is unexplainable. After, I felt very sick to my stomach and thought I was going to lose it. The nurse I was training with gave me some 7-up, boy was I embarrased.

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

Wow, seems there are no assisted living nurses on this board!

Well if any of you do happen to read my post, I would appreciate some input, if you feel like it.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

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Specializes in Developmentally Disabled, LTC, Clinic, Hospital.

I work in a LTC and pass meds to 34 residents every morning, including giving insulin prn. 60 seems like a huge amount for one person!

Vicki

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I am a brand new LPN working in a LTC facility so I can't help with the amount of residents passing meds to in Assisted living.

But I can tell you that I pass meds to 32 patients with insulins prn and multiple blood sugar checks.

I can't imagine doing 60 residents alone even if the people are walkie-talkies and come to you for the meds. Thats a lot of people!

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I am in LTC doing 12 hour shifts, have 24 sub-acute pts; gtubes, iv's, tx.

multiple meds. If you are able to set up all of your meds ahead of time, use a sharpie pen on the 30ml med cups and write the last name on each. In some facilities you are not allowed to pre-pour meds but it sounds like you are doing that in your assisted living facility. I do this as an extra check so I dont give out the wrong med if pt is in the dining room, PT room, etc.

Hope it helps.

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

Yes, we do pre-dish the meds and also write the names on the cup. When the DON hired me she said that it is not supposed to be done, but it is the only way with passing meds to that many residents.

We have 54 residents in assisted living and there are also 30 apartments that are rented out to those in need. We also pass meds to some of those. I have 5 residents that I give insulin too and about 7 accuchecks.

It is an awful lot of meds to get ready. I am sure I will get faster as time goes on.

I just get very nervous. I never want to make a mistake and harm anyone. They have always had one nurse dispensing meds.

We dont have alot of treatments "thank goodness".

Thank you all for responding!!!!!!

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Yes, we do pre-dish the meds and also write the names on the cup. When the DON hired me she said that it is not supposed to be done, but it is the only way with passing meds to that many residents.

We have 54 residents in assisted living and there are also 30 apartments that are rented out to those in need. We also pass meds to some of those. I have 5 residents that I give insulin too and about 7 accuchecks.

It is an awful lot of meds to get ready. I am sure I will get faster as time goes on.

I just get very nervous. I never want to make a mistake and harm anyone. They have always had one nurse dispensing meds.

We dont have alot of treatments "thank goodness".

Thank you all for responding!!!!!!

Hi there!

I worked as a Medication Aid before becoming a LPN, two months ago. As a Med Aid, I was passing meds to a average of 63 residents, in a ALF. It was not easy at the beginning, but time makes this kind of job easier. Hang in there! :typing

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.
Hi there!

I worked as a Medication Aid before becoming a LPN, two months ago. As a Med Aid, I was passing meds to a average of 63 residents, in a ALF. It was not easy at the beginning, but time makes this kind of job easier. Hang in there! :typing

Hello Brazilian, I am still at this job and enjoying it very much. I have gotten used to passing this amount of meds. I still get nervous and am always double checking. I never thought it would get easier, but it has.

Thanks for the response.

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Hello Brazilian, I am still at this job and enjoying it very much. I have gotten used to passing this amount of meds. I still get nervous and am always double checking. I never thought it would get easier, but it has.

Thanks for the response.

You are very welcome.

I left the ALF I was working at because I wanted to try long term care and rehab. I don't know if I got the wrong LTC, but I simply hated. I barely have time to go to the bathroom and no time at all to sit and have a 2 minutes talk with the patients.

So... I am going back to my old ALF that I love so much... this time as a LPN. As a LPN we do treatments, injections and pass part of the meds, along with the Medication Aids.

The pay is less... but I love it more and that's what counts!

Nice to talk to you! :rolleyes:

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It just kills me how a DON can hire someone and say "we're not supposed to pre-pour meds, but go ahead."

Alarms should go off at that point.

If you aren't supposed to do it, you aren't supposed to do it.

If this isn't enough time to do it right, something is wrong.

Something needs to be changed. More nurses added to the payroll, whatever.

What happens when state comes in? What do you then, as opposed to how you do it normally?

It just kills me.

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Yes, we do pre-dish the meds and also write the names on the cup. When the DON hired me she said that it is not supposed to be done, but it is the only way with passing meds to that many residents.

We have 54 residents in assisted living and there are also 30 apartments that are rented out to those in need. We also pass meds to some of those. I have 5 residents that I give insulin too and about 7 accuchecks.

It is an awful lot of meds to get ready. I am sure I will get faster as time goes on.

I just get very nervous. I never want to make a mistake and harm anyone. They have always had one nurse dispensing meds.

We dont have alot of treatments "thank goodness".

Thank you all for responding!!!!!!

Please don't make the mistake of trying to get faster as time goes on.

This will put a pressure to rush. Best to be slow and accurate.

Take as long as you need to feel safe. It is not worth risking errors - This is a hard lesson to learn - I still sometimes find myself trying to hurry.

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I agree. It shouldn't be done. Anyone who has gone through nursing school should know that. I am doing clinicals at a LTC facility right now and am passing meds to 20 residents and doing insulin and finger sticks on most, and it's my 2nd week. I'm slow, and I feel rushed...but my preceptors tell me it's ok. Do it the way I learned not what other people do. She assures me I'll get faster. Safety is the key...I don't care who it is I want to make sure I do it right. I'll tell you something else I, found 2 patients in my first week that were getting the wrong meds because people weren't looking at the orders.

If state comes in ....you must not pre pour.

I'm learning alot in this round of clinicals. I love geriatrics :)

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