med passes done on time?

BrandonLPN, LPN · Oct 10, 2013

All I can say is I'm sorry some of you work in environments that encourage this kind of paranoid counting of the pill cards.

There's a million-bazillion reasons pill cards might not match where they're "supposed to be" for the month. Dropped pills. Refused pills. Residents who were in the hospitals or simply gone all day for an appointment. What a waste of time and energy....

HappyWife77, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2013

I agree that a med error is a med error. A missed dose is just that. The two doses are to be given at 0900 & 1700. We do am and pm shifts. She didn't give it on her shift. So she was counting for punitive or quality assurance. I am feeling better about working that hall after a few more days. The crappy feeling of recieving the write ups has passed. I will rise to the job and do my best and keep my joy and enjoy my residents!! Thank u allnurses!!

HappyWife77, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2013

All I can say is I'm sorry some of you work in environments that encourage this kind of paranoid counting of the pill cards.
There's a million-bazillion reasons pill cards might not match where they're "supposed to be" for the month. Dropped pills. Refused pills. Residents who were in the hospitals or simply gone all day for an appointment. What a waste of time and energy....

I agree BrandonLPN. :yes: exactly!

systoly · Oct 11, 2013

Our senna is on a card, we do not have house stock for anything scheduled, and yes we do report I administered medications regardless senna or norco. We are very very hard on ourselves and write up any and all med errors because it keeps us from becoming sloppy and is in the best interest of the resident. 'Just a senna' is just as important to the resident as any other scheduled medication, it is scheduled because it is necessary, if it is not than seek to have it d/c'd.

Senna is not a scheduled drug - did you mean it is ordered

i strongly disagree with the notion that every ordered medication is equally important

just because it is ordered

having the best interest of the resident in mind is the right thing of course, but

wouldn't the resident be best served by looking at the elimination record and

a B&B assessment instead of going the bureaucratic route

MarggoRita · Oct 12, 2013

Then why not just make it prn? I guess where I am coming from is, are you who think it is ok just omit certain meds at leisure still signing that they were indeed given? I hold meds per nursing judgement, and chart to show that it was held. Everyone makes med errors at one point or another in the chaos that is ltc, the reports are not made to get anyone in trouble but instead to gather data and eliminate common error... Which has been successful. We follow the date on the card and are able to tell if a med was omitted, we sharpie bid meds to read 7am 7pm 8am 8pm etc, we sharpie date everything and have reduced omissions 99%. Also, ours is not a paranoid or hostile environment, we fully understand what we are trying to accomplish. Our strictness stemmed from having discovered a simple order for culterelle that was bid for a 2week span, we received from pharmacy the exact amount of meds needed, but they were in a zip bag instead of a card and therefore placed in a different drawer. After the two weeks, over half the cops remained but all had been signed as given. Needless to say, as a group we decided this was not acceptable nursing practice, and took great lengths to make great improvements and not allow for anyone to be sloppy. I don't find striving for improvement petty one bit.

youngheartoldhead · Oct 15, 2013

If a nurse is counting pills and writing folks up over one dose, perhaps she needs that senna more than anyone else does. Other than serious or willfull infractions, writing a nurse up does nothing but cause additional stress and hostility which in turn, creates an atmosphere that essentially causes more errors and confusion on the unit. Help and encourage each other instead.