Med Aides and First RN Position

[kaydensmom01]

I am looking for my first RN position. I am going for an interview tomorrow for a LTC/SNF/sub-acute facility. I have found out that this facility uses medication aides. I don't know if they would be passing meds on the floor that I will be working, the sub-acute, or if they are limited to LTC- but I will be asking tomorrow. Would they be under my license if they are working on the same floor? If they are working on the same floor I am considering passing if offered the position because I don't think that is something that I would feel comfortable with since I have read about how limited their training is. Luckily I am in a area where new RN positions are plentiful, so I am not worried about not having another offer for a long time.

Would you pass up a job offer because the facility uses medication aides? I am not sure about how much of a liability it would be- it is something that I am not knowledgeable about. Thanks for any advice.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Refer to your nurse practice act regarding delegation and supervision. I believe in most instances the MA is responsible for their own actions, but the RN should know how to delegate and supervise. If they do something wrong it does not mean YOU failed.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

When I worked at a large military hospital, they were training their corpsmen to pass meds.

I absolutely refused to relinquish such a huge variable in my patients' health to unlicensed assistive personnel. As the nurse, YOU are responsible for your patients. YOU still need to do the assessment and ensure that it is safe to medicate the patient. Why then wouldn't the nurse give the drug as well? It never made sense to me, and it doesn't make sense to my state's BON, either (med passes are not delegatable nursing duties).

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

In assisted living facilities, medication aids "pass" meds. The resident is capable of taking their own meds, the aids are "assisting".

In any other setting, helz to the no. That would be crazy and highly doubt that is the scenario.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Would you pass up a job offer because the facility uses medication aides?

Nope. In fact, I'd be more inclined to accept a job offer at a facility that utilizes medication aides. Passing pills to 20+ residents in LTC/SNF/subacute is hellish, but the medication aide does this for you, which allows you to focus on licensed nursing tasks such as assessments, wound care, urinary catheter insertion, IV therapy, charting, and so much more.

[chrisrn24]

Nope. In fact I'd be more inclined to accept a job offer at a facility that utilizes medication aides. Passing pills to 20+ residents in LTC/SNF/subacute is hellish, but the medication aide does this for you, which allows you to focus on licensed nursing tasks such as assessments, wound care, urinary catheter insertion, IV therapy, charting, and so much more.[/quote']

Agreed!

I would love love love to have a med aide!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Those of us who are only familiar with acute care may find it very difficult to wrap our brains around the whole concept of MAs in LTC. But I have a very dear friend (LTC Nurse Administrator) who set me straight. I was informed that the (LTC) facility is the residents' home. They live there because they need personal care, but not necessarily 'medical' treatment. Their medications are usually for management of long-standing chronic issues. Routine medication administration consists only of 'assisting' the patient by making sure they are taking the right pills at the right time and this does not require a nurse.

Yep - she 'schooled' me. I got it. It's time we stopped evaluating everything through an acute care lens - particularly since it seems like acute care is a shrinking job market. It's inappropriate & futile to attempt to apply acute care 'rules' if they don't make sense in other clinical settings.