Is this normal?

[CrazziiRN913, ADN, BSN]

So earlier I had a random memory pop in my head from about 5 or 6 years ago when my Aunt had her second to last child. She had an uneventful delivery, no complications or anything. The baby was fine when he came out and she was fine after just tired. I remembered when my mother and I went to go see my aunt in the hospital she was telling us about having the epidural and how it was the best thing in the world, then she mentioned. that the nurse left her a bottle of pills (tylenol or advil can't remember which one) and a piece of paper with a chart on it to write down every time she took some and how much! Now my aunt is a nurse and was at the time when she had the baby, but I just thought it was weird that they would just giver a bottle of pills and tell her to chart every time she took one! And I know that those are OTC drugs you can by close to anywhere but they where hospital provided and everything....I just thought it was weird what do you guys think?

[I<3H2O, BSN, RN]

Totally not a safe practice and not one I would employ as a nurse.

[bunsterj]

When I was in nursing school, the hospital that we did clinicals in gave the postpartum moms little self dosing drug packs with unit dose vitamins, Tylenol, and Colace. It was in a Zip-lock bag along with a card to "sign out" their meds.

[CrazziiRN913, ADN, BSN]

It wasd in a zip lock bag too I forgot to add that part lol...where was your clinical? My aunt had her baby in a hospital in syracuse, ny

[loriangel14, RN]

I have seen patients with things like puffers and eye drops at the bedside and they would just take them when they were due.I had a patient that gave himself Ventolin nebulizer treatments and kept the supplies in his room.I would imagine if a patient was alert and oriented they could be trusted to administer their own PRNs.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

they did that with both of my births at one of the hospitals i was at. It has nothing to do with her being a nurse its just their pain mgt protocol for post partum moms...

[CrazziiRN913, ADN, BSN]

They didn't do that to me when I was postpartum...or when I was doing my OB rotation....I guess every hospital is different in what they feel is acceptable!

[dreamingofbeing]

When I had my son 8 years ago that's what I had. They left the pills at the bedside and I had to write down what I took and when. When I had my daughter 2 years ago I didn't have that and I was begging to get anti-nausea pills.

[kids]

Standard procedure at the 2 hospitals my 3 grandkid's were born at within the last 8.5 years.

[KneKno]

Why don't we trust A+O people to take meds in the hospital (can't leave meds at the bedside, must watch them swallow), but we send them home and expect them to do it?

[CrazziiRN913, ADN, BSN]

KneKno you make a great point!!

[Gemini25]

I find that VERY strange lol I thought you had to watch the patients take the medicine... not leave them with a pill bottle that is hospital provided, even if it's Tylenol, etc.