med carts/control freaks

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I could use a little feed back from you all.....I'm a full time day shift float in LTC-prior to starting the med pass I load up the med cart they way I want it with my pudding,assorted juices,water pitcher,steth,sphyg and thermometer etc...-when I'm through at the end of the day I clean it off,wipe it down,empty the trash and stock it....The problem is that some nurses on a particular unit are having a FIT because it is not arranged exactly like it was in the morning...We have 2 bins on the side that can be removed and we also have some plastic trays to hold cups.I really don't see the problem-sometimes I'll even push it back against the far wall in the med room instead of up against the wall to the left and that REALLY pushed the evening nurse's buttons( I did not bother to move it over after housekeeping cleaned the floor- what's the big deal?)'ll take the plastic trays and sit them on the counter because with 21 residents I don't see the need for 80 cups on top of the cart-especially since I usually knock alot of them off...God forbid I leave those trays on the counter at the end of the day! And the meds! Ours are dispensed in boxes-most units have the boxes arranged in the order that the med appears on the MAR which makes perfect sense to me-I'll put them in that order as I pour to help me check and double check as I go.....Apparently if I open a new box and we have another I have put it to the side of the drawer-this also pushes someone's buttons....I know how childish this sounds-believe me....I'm usually eating my lunch in the med room so I can get the heck out of there on time....As long as the cart,med room and nurse's station are clean what's the big darn deal? Can someone tell me? There is no MAP to the area-I really am not aware of any policy or protocol that tells me where to put the straws...You are all reasonable people-do you get into medcart wars at your facility? I feel that I am too busy WORKING to worry about stacking the cups to suit the evening nurse-and I'm feeling particularly passive aggressive....Like tomorrow maybe I'll just turn the freaking med cart UPSIDE DOWN.....I've worked acute care and had to share a med cart with 4 or 5 other nurses....Maybe I am a little more tolerant then some of these freaking miserable people I work with in LTC..argh..........So-what would you do? so what's the big deal? Who has lost their marbles?

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Specializes in Family.

Me, I'd leave it nasty a couple of times and make the comment that why should I bother when they're gonna complain anyway? :rotfl: I'm a neat freak about the cart myself, and it never occurred to me to fuss about whether or not something is on the cart. I'm happy is there's a clean trash bag and the surface is clean. I can set up myself, lol.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Hey There !

At one point in my career I worked weekends at a LTC facility. I am a neat freak too and this place just made me crazy. The med cart was always filthy, un-organized and a total mess. I would complain all of the time to no avail. So I decided to just take the time early in the shift to "de-contaminate" the cart, and to organize it ...MY WAY ! It made me more efficient and safer that way. Oh, I also took it upon myself to clean the staff break room, which was so filthy that the health dept. could have closed it down if it were alerted to it. It was pretty shamefull, seeing as how families put their loved ones in the hands of those "piggies" who worked there.

So glad my son is finished with college, and I no longer need the extra money that the LTC place provided me with. Praise the Lord !

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Specializes in Med/Surge.

I think these other people need to seriously get a grip about the med cart. OMG-if that was all that I had to worry about at work wouldn't life be grand.

I am just happy if the previous nurses empty the trash occasionally. I stock it the way that I like it anyway.

I think that it's crazy they are acting like little children. Nobody does anything the same in nursing (well almost anyway-that's why it is so gray). I think that I would just try to ignore them or else laugh about it!!

Good luck.

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OMG, they need to get a life! Did they pee on the med cart to mark it as their own??

Whatever works for you, Do it. I work with a bunch of pigs too. Every single weekend I clean the med cart and treatment cart and restock it.

I remember years ago I left the trash bag on my med cart and almost got my head cut off from an excelent LPN. Gosh those were teh days. :chuckle To this day tho I still clean and restock my cart before leaving, no matter how busy I am. That nurse taught me a whole bunch of other things too.

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Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

Some people get real hunh up on the good old line "That's the way it has always been."

Some folks are just very territorial and some folks are just not happy unless they can find something to pitch a fit over. During my 12 hours I am going to do it my way if it does not violate the Nurse Practice Act or facility policy. The way they want to do it during their 12 bothers me not.

How about getting some of those pretty colored trash bags or would that just send em over the moon??? I personally would probably tell them to get over themselves or offer an explanation about the importance of teh cart being on the left side of the room versus the right.

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Used to use med carts. I would have been soooooooo appreciative if it was cleaned and stocked when I came on. I didn't care how it organized, because I'd set it up in a way that worked for me. I don't expect anyone to do the job exactly as I would, we all do what works best for us.

Some people are just nutty and rigid. Bad combo BTW.

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I don't even mind if the cart isn't stocked because I just do it any way. What frosts my crack is when someone uses a liquid med and doesn't tighten the top back on so that when I pick it up it spills or when I shake it, it goes all over. You soon learn to check first. Then there are the ones who spill a med like Lactulose and we all know how syrupy and sticky that is and do a half a$$ed job at cleaning it up. What's worse is when they spill it on the keyboard to the computer and then the keys sssstttttiiiiicccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk when you try to type! It makes the med pass that much longer, as if they aren't long enough! :madface: The worst is when they're finished and put the cart back into the med room and never plug it back in so the battery to the computer can charge. There's nothing like rolling out a dead computerized med cart. I thought nursing was all about cleanliness and neatness. :rotfl: Not on my unit. What was I thinking? :selfbonk:

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& while you're at it, why not decorate it for each holiday?? ;) I'm sure it would cheer up the patients!

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

I am a LTC med nurse and pass to many patients. When I take over the cart it is mine and I arrange it the way I want it to expedite my med pass time. I had some trouble a long time ago with nurses that wanted the cards put in place according to the MAR.. give me a break I dont have time for all of that. I refill the cart when I get done, and just as I have to arrange the cart , you will have to as well cause the unnecessary stuff is coming off. I spend more time picking up cups and wooden spoons off the floor than passing pills.So I set them aside to begin with... I personally would not lose any sleep over it and when they get their gripper inflammed just tell them .. I cant function with the med cart like this. Im arranging it my way for the day and when you have it arrange it your way .. end of story.

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Well, jeepers, you are stocking it the way YOU want to instead of the way THEY want to? How rude. (Kidding). You have every right to keep it your way while it is your shift, and they can certainly rearrange things (as you do) at the beginning of THEIR shift. I would pay no mind to the obsessive-compulsive nurses and instead focusing on what you obviously excel at, being a nurse. You are under no obligation to fix the cart up for them at the end of the shift. I bet this OCD nurse would have a fit if you suggested that she fix up the cart the way you like it before she leaves at the end of her shift! Hang in there, and if it gets too aggravating just put a little birdie in your supervisor's ear. I know that as a supervisor I'd put a stop to that kind of trivial bickering!

Lori

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Like all the other comments so far....I also like to stock the cart to my liking. I work 12 hour shifts....so for those 12 hours the cart is mine....as long as I stock it, and empty the trash for the oncoming nurse....I really do not see why I should arrange the cart to the oncoming nurses liking. Some people really do need to get a grip. :madface:

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