lost meds help?

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Hi everyone

I'm a new nursing student and I recently lost one of my patients pills. I have to write a paper about what happends when you lose your patients pills. However, i dont know what kind of things would happen in the hospital. Here is my list

1. Patients medication is now late potentially causing there life/ health in jeopardy

2. Someone may find the missing medicine and take it

3. You may be accused of stealing the medicine

4. If its a narcotic you may have to be drug tested.

5. Your credability as a nurse may be diminshed

6. You will get written up.

7. File out an incident report

Thats all I can think of can someone please point me in the right direction

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Depends on the pill are we talking narcotics or something else that is very expensive?

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no it wasnt narcotics but what happens if it is. i know its a must bigger deal

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The biggest concern of the hospital is money down the drain. You just lost a hundred dollar pill. That's like stealing money from the CEO's pockets. Honestly, how is he ever going to afford to buy ALL his kids Lexuses?

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Scary- I did it twice... the first and last time! (hopefully!)

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no it wasnt narcotics but what happens if it is. i know its a must bigger deal

They might think your a drug addict.

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The biggest concern of the hospital is money down the drain. You just lost a hundred dollar pill.

You're kidding, right?

I hope there's some sarcasm here that I didn't pick up on... (I got it in the second half)

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You're kidding, right?

I hope there's some sarcasm here that I didn't pick up on... (I got it in the second half)

Not exactly sarcasm- more like tongue in cheek. The hospital probably keeps very close watch on supplies- if the hospital has 1000 patients over a year, and each one of those had a dropped pill that was 5$- you do the math.

You ever see the charges for the phone and cable? The reason nursing staff is being reduced is because the hospital has to make a profit to keep the shareholders happy. And you don't make shareholders happy by having reasonable nurse to patient ratios. Why hire two nurses if one can do it?

So yeah, I'm sure there is a bean counter somewhere in the system making sure that nurses aren't losing supplies (including medications).

For the purpose of the OP's assignment, it was purely sarcasm. Based in real life.

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Inconvenience to the pharmacist that has to send a new one?

Delay in treatment?

Delay in discharge?

Having to write a silly paper over a mistake?

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For the purpose of the OP's assignment, it was purely sarcasm. Based in real life.

Whew... of course materials management and cost effectiveness is an issue, but there are so many other things that come to mind before the monetary value of a pill! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Having to write a silly paper over a mistake?

I too think its pretty silly to have to write a paper about a missing pill. If it is a narcotic, that is one thing. But if it was one of the million day to day drugs that people are on (senna, colace, ASA, multivitamins, etc), then what is the big deal? If I accidentally drop a pill on the ground, I'll pick it up, throw it out, and get a new one. How is it any different than losing the pill?

Tell your instructors to chill out, get a life, and if they want a paper written over something so dumb then they should write it themselves.

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Tell your instructors to chill out, get a life, and if they want a paper written over something so dumb then they should write it themselves.

ha! :yeah:

****disclaimer- do not actually tell them!****:smokin:

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