I have a question& need your help

[ann1970]

I've been an LPN for 3yrs. Recently my D.O.N. told me tat I needed to pass another LPN's narcotics ,with no other explaination given except that she was unable to d/t reason being "confidential". I strongly refused d/t the enormous work load, possibility of med error, along with leaving this other nurse to assess the patients after these meds were given.The D.O.N. was to say the least furious with my decision. Does she have the right to tell me I have to? I told her that " I refuse, under no circumstance would I pass her meds. That she would have to have the supervisor sign & administer the other nurse meds!!"Please tell me what you think, & how would you handle this situation.

[Jolie, BSN]

I've been an LPN for 3yrs. Recently my D.O.N. told me tat I needed to pass another LPN's narcotics ,with no other explaination given except that she was unable to d/t reason being "confidential". I strongly refused d/t the enormous work load, possibility of med error, along with leaving this other nurse to assess the patients after these meds were given.The D.O.N. was to say the least furious with my decision. Does she have the right to tell me I have to? I told her that " I refuse, under no circumstance would I pass her meds. That she would have to have the supervisor sign & administer the other nurse meds!!"Please tell me what you think, & how would you handle this situation.

She can give you any assignment she wants. However, you did the right thing by refusing an unsafe assignment that would put your patients and your license at risk. GOOD FOR YOU!!!

My guess is that this other nurse is unable to pass meds due to disciplinary reasons, either related to med errors or narcotic abuse on her part. The DON now must deal with it, as she should!

[ann1970]

Thanks for your support! The more I'm finding out at work,there does seem to be a narc abuse on her part.They are not even allowing her to count narcs!Administraition shouldn't be putting the blunt of this on the rest of it's employees,put her down as a treatment nurse,that way she has no control over distributing meds.She needs some serious help.Don't mask the situation by overloading the other nurses,& pretending this will all blow over!

[sjb2005]

The DON can ask, delegate or demand you do perform duties within your scope of practice. I would have approached it differently though. I would have told the DON that I could not safely perform my duties with this as an added duty. I would have offered for the restricted nurse to swap some duties for fairness. The other nurse can still evaluate the effectiveness of the meds that you give. Always administer Narcs or any med that you have dipensed, did the triple check and documented on. Don't let anyone talk you into anything you feel uncomfortable with and always consult your BON when in doubt.