I am an RN in Texas. I work in a ambulatory surgery center with only 8 employees, 3 of which are RN's. On certain occasions I am the only RN in the center we close. My DON has said it is ok to have the receptionist, surgical tech, medical assistant or office manager co-sign my final narcotics count of the day. I just dont feel comfortable with this. What is anyones experience with this or any knowledge of the subject is appreciated.....
Specializes in Med-Surg, , Home health, Education.
I agree that 2 licensed staff should sign. How about your Supervisor or Charge nurse? Periodically when I worked Ambulatory I was the only nurse on duty for the last few discharges. I used to either call a nurse from the unit down the hall or get the Supervisor to count.
The issue is that she is the only licensed nurse in the facility when she needs to count narcotics. It is not a hospital where others are around.
I'm sorry, I did realize that, I guess I was just "thinking out loud" knowing I was in a slightly similar situation and how we were and were not allowed to handle it, obviously, though it is rather irrelevant since I could borrow another nurse from elsewhere.
I am a cmt and from my exp in mo it can be two med tech's, a med tech and a nurse or a nurse and a nurse but you can't just have anyone count narc's we have our uncoming count with the out going person to make sure that everything is correct before taking responsibility for the meds
Many thanks for all your replies. Well just to update. I did leave my employment with the ambulatory surgery center. I think the last straw came when I had to pre-op and recover 13 patients on my own. I ran back and forth all day. And then still had no one but the receptionist at the end of the day to sign the narc count.
Just to clarify a few things, yes the anestheologists did leave when the patient hit PACU, they did not stay around for the recovery period. I usually woke up the patient and took out the ET tube or LMA.....nice.
Only one RN was assigned to PACU, the other RN left as soon as the surgery was over,
Oh well , we live, we learn, we move on.
I am going to work agency in ICU (my fav) for a while. LIFE IS TO SHORT TO WASTE ON SOMEWHERE YOUR NOT HAPPY.
Dorito, ASN, RN
311 Posts
I agree that 2 licensed staff should sign. How about your Supervisor or Charge nurse? Periodically when I worked Ambulatory I was the only nurse on duty for the last few discharges. I used to either call a nurse from the unit down the hall or get the Supervisor to count.