who's license do med techs work under?

Published

Hi, I am a new nurse, I became licensed in January 09. I started working at an Assisted Living Facility in St. Pete. The facility I work for uses med techs to pass meds. The only thing they cannot do is injections. I was wondering if anyone in here knew exactly who's license is the med tech working under... Thanks.

Jess;)

Hi Stan. Way to go on being a nurse for 15 years. Are you ready to kill yourself yet? Im messing with you. I haven't even been a nurse for a year yet and I went in blind not really knowing what a nurse actually does. It's definitely not glamorous. I think people need to be more aware of how to preserve their health and not end up sick cause I think 20 years from now the hospitals are going to be over crowded and hopeless to a degree. What are your thoughts on our ever evolving nursing shortage?

?????

I'm not a nurse yet...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Crunch is the nurse for 15 years! LOL! And yes I am happy because I have been in outpatient nursing since I got my RN which I obtained after working as a unit clerk/monitor tech for 15 years in the hospital.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

From my understanding. Med Techs are indeed, working under YOUR License. That is precisely why I refuse to work where they have Med Techs. They only have like 45 hours of class time!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
From my understanding. Med Techs are indeed, working under YOUR License. That is precisely why I refuse to work where they have Med Techs. They only have like 45 hours of class time!

Nope. You are the only one who works under your license. However, if you delegate a task to a person, under your supervision, who is neither allowed or trained to do the task and they screw up then your license is indeed at risk. If a person, say a med tech, who is trained to do a task but does not do it correctly/per policy then it's that person's and often the facility's responsibility...not yours. The idea that somebody works "under your license" is a myth being perpetuated by nursing schools and bad managers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And nurses that just don't like med aides... ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

the laws regulating "med tech/aide" is different from state to state. here is an excerpt from the nebraska text;

http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/crl/nursing/ma/ma.htm#competency

a medication aide must have demonstrated basic competency in the provision of medication according to the "five rights" to qualify for placement on the registry. medication aides who provide medications in a nursing home, icf-mr, or an assisted living facility must also have completed a course and passed a state administered examination. the administration of medication is a regulated activity. medication aides may only provide medications under circumstances when a competent individual, a caretaker, or licensed health care professional provides direction and monitoring. the medication aide is responsible to get the right drug to the right recipient in the right dosage by the right route at the right time (five rights). the individual providing direction and monitoring is responsible to observe and take appropriate action regarding any desired effects, side effects, interactions, and contraindications associated with the medication.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh wow! That is good to know. It must be a myth. Because that is what I always "heard". Glad to know it isn't true. Because that is really scary!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

in michigan the facility that i work at has med techs that have been trained on site for three days by other med techs all of whom have yet to aquire a cna certification. i am the lpn on staff and am very uncomfortable with this policy. countless errors have been made by those setting up meds in advance...a shift prior to their arrival... for coworkers in envelopes and having them "run" to the residents by others. additionally the med tech are not familiar with what the medication is used for/side effects etc. certainly there must be guidelines in place to address this situation. seems to me only a matter of time before a centinal event occurs. any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Reminds me of the misconception that an LPN works under an RN's license....

Anyways, the only med techs that I have had experience with (and my daughter is one) is when clients/residents take their own medication, and are just supervised that they do actually take them. Residential faucilities and assisted living are not nursing homes or hospitals. I also believe that if a nursing home uses med techs, the resident/family has to sign off that they are aware that an unlicensed person could be giving medications. It is a great deal of responsibility in the nursing home setting I would think--but CNA's have lots of responsibility too--and I don't believe they work under anyone's license either. Unless a nurse gets nutty and is handing med techs syringes of medication and directing Med Tech to administer--Yikes BUT I do know of med. assistants who work in doctor's offices who give injections--and in that instance it is under the MD's license.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a LPN and have been replaced by med techs by two facilities. I guess its cheaper for the company. I have no idea what the deal is, Im in RN school now NO jobs are open in Mi hospitals anymore. I think its rotten that TSPN is lying telling students they will be gainfully employed in a hosp setting. Its just not true.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion