Lets be careful how we use Med Aides

[achot chavi]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/776075

According to this article, it is mostly in LTC where med aides are used and apparently abused by being asked to perform tasks that are beyond the scope of their practice.

Is this what is really going on? Maybe we have to be as careful with our support staff's ethics as with our own. I would like to imagine that we all would refuse when asked to perform outside of our permitted scope, and that we would be annoyed if pressured to do so.

[sun78910]

I'm in Maryland and I wish we had med aides. I'm pretty much type A and would never hand off any task to any other staff member that wasn't in their scope of practice, i even find it hard to delegate tasks sometimes.As long as med parameters are specific and they're only handing out scheduled, and not PRN medications, then why not? We have so much to do anyway, this would be a good way to free 15 minutes! As far as saying it's 'scary' that they only have to take a test to become certified is ridiculous. What do you think the NCLEX is? I work ICU and clinicals were pretty much a waste of time for me. What I do now and what I did in clinicals are worlds apart. Also, same with pharmacology, straight memorization and written tests to pass. I feel this is like having a respiratory therapist or an extra tech. We already have so much on our plate, why not have a little extra help? We just have to be responsible and, just like we do with nursing techs/assistants, know what is and what is not in their scope of practice. Plus even I have a hard time memorizing medications, would love to have an extra brain to utilize!

[IndiCRNA]

To me nurse-pt ratios in LTC would need to be cut in half for it to even be remotely safe to not utilize med aides.

Yes exactly. Put the CNAs bach to doing what they have been trained to do and hire more nurses for doing nurses work. I realize doing so would cut into profits and thus unlikely to happen.

[noc4senuf]

I have worked with med aides for years. They pass scheduled meds and PRN's after the nurse has assessed and given the okay to do so. With the mounds of paperwork for the nurses to do, they would not get their work done without them.

[IndiCRNA]

I have worked with med aides for years. They pass scheduled meds and PRN's after the nurse has assessed and given the okay to do so. With the mounds of paperwork for the nurses to do, they would not get their work done without them.

I understand. However the answer is not to have CNAs doing nurses work for which they are not trained. The answer is to streamline nurses charting, eliminating double charting and meaningless "boiler plate" charting and to increase the nurse staff ratios so that nurses have time to do the work they are trained and licensed to do.

One hospital I used to work at invested a lot of money in a new computer charting system that allowed nurses to speak their charting into a headset. We would actually speak our assessments while we preformed them. Then once or twice a shift we would log into the computer to make sure the computer understood what we charted correctly and signed our charting. It worked great. The hospital was actually able to increased to number of patients nurses cared for AND ended up with happier nurses since they got to spend their time doing what they love, providing great care to patients. In a 12 hour shift with two very critical patients I would spend about 20 min total doing all my charting for the shift. About the same amount of time to chart of 5 patients when I floated to med-surg.

[noc4senuf]

This is LTC we are discussing. There will always be paperwork or computer charting that takes up the nurses time. Due to ongoing cuts at federal and state levels, there is never going to be more staffing. The point is to make sure the med aides are thoroughly trained and have annual training expectations to keep up on new drugs and changes.

[IndiCRNA]

This is LTC we are discussing.

Obviously. I was giving an example of how a faciliety could allow nurses to better use their time.

There will always be paperwork or computer charting that takes up the nurses time.

Wow you give up easy. Of course charting must be done. The amount of time a nurse spends doing it is entirely up to the managment of the faciliety, LTC or hospital.

Due to ongoing cuts at federal and state levels, there is never going to be more staffing.

Make it illegal for anyone not a nurse or physician to pass medications, as it is in some places, and they will find the staff.

The point is to make sure the med aides are thoroughly trained and have annual training expectations to keep up on new drugs and changes.

That's not MY point and I heartly disagree with you. I believe it is wrong for CNAs to do work only nurses are trained to do. Putting CNAs through a med course does not make them nurses. I would not allow my loved one to be a resident in any faciliety that had CNAs passing medications. It's not safe IMO and further erodes a nurses position.

[noc4senuf]

I have been doing this for so many years, there is no other choice. The money is not there to add the nurses. You may be lucky to live/work in a state that does not allow it. I work and consult in states that do.

[sun78910]

- it's this attitude that makes nurses leave the profession! Make medicine aides illegal and the hospital will have to find the staff? This attitude contributes to chronic understaffing and in many cases hospitals can't find the staff. Plus there are so many medications to keep up with its hard to memorize every medication and their side effects on top of everything else we, as nurses, have to remember. Make medicine aides pass rigorous tests and do continuing education, just like nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists. There are ways to make our jobs a little less stressful and I feel like this is one thing we can do as long as its regulated in a safe way.

[noc4senuf]

I wish posters would look at what forum they are posting to.... this is a LTC forum and not hospital. Two different subjects entirely.

[sun78910]

I thought we were discussing medicine aids not LTC facilities....just trying to draw parallels to the setting I currently work in. Guess Ill stick to the threads the only involve hospitals lol

[IndiCRNA]

- it's this attitude that makes nurses leave the profession!

LOL! I doubt it but if I am wrong then good. Anything that would help reduce the intentional glut of nurses is OK with me.