Letting CNA pass your meds, bad idea?

Miyoung107 · Dec 7, 2006

I agree. You shouldn't let someone who is not licensed to pass out medications. For one you risk the patients safetly and if anything were to happen you will be held responsible. If the responsibility were yours wouldn't you want to make sure you were there to make sure everything was done accordingly?

Also, I feel that it is unfair that CNA's would be able to do what they did not get the education to do. RN's go through more schooling to be able to be able to do certain skills so therefore if CNA's are to be delegated more duties then they should go through the proper education as well.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 7, 2006

I Really Understand What You Are Saying, Cna's Should Not Pass Meds, I Am A Medication Aide, And Inrespone To The Lady About Stateing I Need To Suck It Up, Believe Me I Do Everynight, I Work Hard While The Nurse Talk On The Phone And Do Nothing. I Love My Job, And I Will Do My Job, If I Make A Misstake That Is On Me Not The Nurse. I Do Tell The Truth. But I Don't Think That It Is Fair For A Nurse, To Get Paid For 8 Hours To Do Nothing ,when It Is Her Job To Make Sure That The People Are Being Taken Care Of. I Tell My Nurse Everything I Do, I Sign Off On Everything I Do, Plus I Have A Shift Report I Make A Copy And Give To The Nurse Of Every Routine Med I Give And Every Prn Given. I Work The 10-6 Shift And So I Can Make That Kind Of Report Due To A Small Med Pass Of 4 Halls. So Thank You All For Your Input, I Know Now That My Respect For Nurses Hasn't Changed. Get Rid Of The Bad And Start With The New.

What I see happening here is that the nurse (as well as your facility) is using you to do her job. I am glad that you take it seriously. However, I do believe that she will take more weight than you because while you may be written up, the nurse may have to face the state for actions that she didn't perform.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 7, 2006

:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire What a freaking nightmare!!! It is a shame that this nurse manager did not see it in her heart to give you a break...you were the only RN for crying outloud!!! How scary that must have been.

I'll tell you all a little story in which I learned the hard way. Sixteen years ago I was working in a Burn ICU on nights as the only RN with no less than 4 pts. I did have a Burn Tech assigned on those shifts but otherwise had no other help. Now considering this meant debridment, dressing changes, vents, traches the whole shabang. Burns do take a great deal of attention more than I ever had to really give when I was working in ICU/CCU/CVICU. Answering a call bed needed to be done almost immediately etc. Anyway to the point. One night I had one patient who was suffering some heartburn. He had Maalox/Mylanta ordered. As I was in the room to give the little cup of Mylanta my other in the next cubicle pulled out his trach and started crashing. As I ran to attend this patient I asked my Burn tech to ensure Mr. So-So took his mylanta for me. I had significant trust in this tech as she was also a 4th year nursing student who had just graduated and was awaiting taking her state boards. Didnt think nothing of the request. Anyway when I gave report that morning my relief happened to be my NCM and I had forgotten in all the choas and asked the tech if Mr. So-So took his mylanta. Big mistake!!! This NCM turned me into the BON for "Misappropriation of Medication and for asking a non-licensed person to administer" I had to surrender my license for 4 months suspension, 2 years probation, $500.00 civil penalty, additional ceu's for medication errors and legal responsibilites, quarterly drug screens at my cost, and documented counseling for that entire 2 years also at my cost. I also was terminated!! Now please understand I had been a very experienced critical care nurse with my CCRN for over 12 years at this time. Had only been in this particular hospital 4 months. This NCM wasnt a friendly person and also I had questioned numerous protocol of the unit in particularly documentation as it was very poor!! They used mostly check list and the prior shift may not have a single nursing entry in the notes which I didnt feel comfortable with.
Anyway even something so simple you wouldnt take a second thought of came back to bite me in the royal orifice so to speak as retaliation. The BON's treat these things no differently then if you had been impaired or diverting medication. Funny thing is I had just recieved my 3 month evaluation and it was perfect from the previous NCM. The one who reported me was new. Keep this in mind when its something so simple you may not think of the consequences down the road or realize just how fragile a nursing license truely is!! It also leaves a permanent mark on your licensure for the rest of you professional life.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 7, 2006

And, Lacie, reading this a second time shows me even further why an aide should not administer meds, and this is the issue I was thinking about when reading the medication aide's post...ultimately, it is the NURSE!!!! I am just curious...what was the outcome for the 4th year nursing student about to take her boards? I suspect that because she was not a nurse yet, that it may not have been much!

Lacie, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2006

No action to her at all. She took her test, passed boards, and stayed in that same Burn ICU as an RN. Thing is I took the med into the patient which was nothing more than Mylanta, other pt crashes, asked So-So to ensure he drank the mylanta since I didnt have the chance to stand there to watch him drink it. Nothing more than that. My point in posting my story was its little things that you would never think you could jeopardize your license over? Think again!!! I know it was done as a retaliation and even the boards knew that. But once a complaint is made it isnt like the Legal system that you are innocent till proven guilty, it's administrative/civil law which is a whole different ball game. Essentially I violated the Nurse practice act. Even if it was something minimal it was still a "violation". I would ask that ever nurse or nurse to be remember this simple act and what it cost me. I can introduce you to so many others that lost licensure for things that we as nurses do most likely any given night, in any given unit, any given hospital or state for minor violations. It's not worth putting yourself at that risk. As experienced as I was I never thought anything negative about it till it happened. It did put a sour taste in my mouth about nursing for awhile but ultimately I did the deed and paid the price. So NO, NO, NO, CNA's should never be asked to do anything outside of exactly what thier job description states and/or anything that would violate your state nurse practice act as ultimately you as the RN will pay the price. No one else.

shawna_alexis · Dec 8, 2006

i work in a group home and i'm allowed to pass meds. I'm not an LPN yet, and I'm not a CNA. I'm a TMA though whatever that is.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2006

Good grief out of the 27 pages, this has to make the top 10 scariest post on this thread...

i work in a group home and i'm allowed to pass meds. I'm not an LPN yet, and I'm not a CNA. I'm a TMA though whatever that is.

star.crush · Dec 8, 2006

first of all thats illegal

star.crush · Dec 8, 2006

thats illegal

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 8, 2006

Originally Posted by shawna_alexis
i work in a group home and i'm allowed to pass meds. I'm not an LPN yet, and I'm not a CNA. I'm a TMA though whatever that is.

That's what you are and you don't know what it is???

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 9, 2006

i work in a group home and i'm allowed to pass meds. I'm not an LPN yet, and I'm not a CNA. I'm a TMA though whatever that is.

Wow...you pass meds, and don't know your title...that IS frightening...

augigi, CNS · Dec 9, 2006

I agree she should know exactly what her job title and duties are according to the facility. However, group homes often have different rules with regard to medication administration, including the fact that parents can administer etc and the nurse is not liable. Shawna would have to check her state practice act.