Letting CNA pass your meds, bad idea?

[walla189]

I fill the cups and check for all interactions and whatnot, but anyone have any negative experiences or can think of any possible neg exp with this?

Thanks

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

You should have stated that in the first place. What do you think are negatives associated with this??

A trained nurse, indeed...one of the main things they taught us in school is to turn the question back to the client to get them to think more, and an instructor would turn the question back at us to encourage critical thinking! Thanks for reminding us of that, Cardiac-RN!

[91C_ARMYLPN]

No thanks! Definitely not on my watch! Patient safety is number one. I sure would not like to do the tango for the courtroom, and try to convince the jury about keeping my nursing license. If you prepare the medication then you give that medication. CNA giving meds...that's a first one for me.

[AfloydRN, BSN, RN]

I don't know what state you are from, but it is ILLEGAL for a non-licensed professional to dispense meds. I believe we all learned this nursing 101- first week. Do cna's get trained as far as side effects of durgs and what to look for? How about drug interactions? Bad idea.

[casi, ASN, RN]

I work in an Assisted Living Facility as a CNA where I pass meds that a preset up in weekly strips that are locked in each resident's apartment. It's my job to check the MAR against what's set up and initial off on what I give. Needless to say I've seen some very stupid med errors on the part of CNAs. I've seen CNAs go into an apartment and get a strip, and somehow take it to someone else's apartment and give it to the wrong resident. PM meds given instead of AM meds. Husband gets both his and his wife's PM meds, and the list could go on.

As a CNA with very little med training I really don't think it's our job to be handing out medications. I'd much rather leave it to the nurses who have the education to do it.

[NurseTomasAZ]

It's legal in my state -- AZ. I'm a new LPN, 2/3 of the way through an RN program, and I attended the inservice today. I'm also very glad to be reading up on the topic on today's boards. Despite the fact that I know, respect, and approve of the two CNAs who are being trained for the job, I'm a little worried. Reading some of your posts, I guess I should be. It's my brand new license, and AZ is a state well-known for looking straight down the totem pole to assign blame.

Thanks for the posts. Color me watchful.

[25(2)+2]

i took a course in iowa to pass meds. it was about 2 weeks long. we had to take tests during that 2 weeks, do a paper on a resident and the affects of their meds and pass a state exam, and if we passed the state exam then we had to do 10 hours of clinicals with an RN. If not for any other reason, and there are others more important, i went through training to pass meds and to do it right. CNAs without that training should not be passing meds.

[MS._Jen_RN, ASN, RN]

As a CNA with very little med training I really don't think it's our job to be handing out medications. I'd much rather leave it to the nurses who have the education to do it.

What a statement. Thank you for your honesty Casi. I think your insiders view of the subject is very telling.

~Jen

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I work in an Assisted Living Facility as a CNA where I pass meds that a preset up in weekly strips that are locked in each resident's apartment. It's my job to check the MAR against what's set up and initial off on what I give. Needless to say I've seen some very stupid med errors on the part of CNAs. I've seen CNAs go into an apartment and get a strip, and somehow take it to someone else's apartment and give it to the wrong resident. PM meds given instead of AM meds. Husband gets both his and his wife's PM meds, and the list could go on.

As a CNA with very little med training I really don't think it's our job to be handing out medications. I'd much rather leave it to the nurses who have the education to do it.

When I was a psych tech, I used to give evening meds in the morning also. I didn't appreciate the value of it that much, because I knew that the most they can do is write us up. Now, as a nurse, I would be afraid that someone else may feel the same way I did.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

(I can't believe this was made a sticky)

[PANurseRN1]

i took a course in iowa to pass meds. it was about 2 weeks long. we had to take tests during that 2 weeks, do a paper on a resident and the affects of their meds and pass a state exam, and if we passed the state exam then we had to do 10 hours of clinicals with an RN. If not for any other reason, and there are others more important, i went through training to pass meds and to do it right. CNAs without that training should not be passing meds.

Wow. A whole two weeks and a whole ten hours.

[aileenve, ASN, RN]

NEVER:nono:

[dijaqrn]

HRLRN echoed my thoughts exactly! If you look at each of those three strikes as being your grandmother you'll be able to figure out exactly why nurses should be the only ones giving meds!

I'd love to review the content of a two week CMA course. Do they review labs before giving drugs like Coumadin ? Learned assessment in two weeks?

These must be great courses, maybe we RN's are spending too much time in school!

When I did work in LTC med pass times were critical to being able to chart later, you assessed the pts for edema, congestion, changes in mental status etc. Things surely do change but no one is competent to pass meds after a two week course and 1.25 days of clinical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!