Medication Administration in Assisted Living Facility in Florida

[WinnieP]

Hello Everyone, I've recently graduated from nursing school in August an had taken a pt job at an ALF here in FL, until a few weeks ago when I was "let go" for reporting another med tech for passing meds in my buildings on christmas day, the tech had given the meds to my pt.s for all three med passes @ 0800! I had let the LPN I was working with that day know what was going on, she suggested I go through the MAR in both buildings and write down everything so she could turn it into the PCC the next day,this tech

Left meds in pt. rooms while the pt weren't in their rooms which is a major no-no. Signed off on meds as being given and the pt.s were OOF! Pt.s that were in the facility weren't given meds but the MAR was signed off as they were OOF, and she continually got away with this since she had been hired on from her CNA position to med tech, from the very first day she had been making errors, giving wrong meds to pt.s. She had been reported numerous times by different techs to the PCC's and to the administration yet nothing was ever done.

One pt. refused meds for a whole week, she never said a thing to the nurse, until I notified them, a week later the pt. died, she was on Lasix. Here in FL, Med tech.s can have four hours of training and be called a med tech.! I know there are some good med techs, don't get me wrong but this one in particular no I'm sorry, It is crazy, they have no formal training, no nothing, they put the pt. at risk. I was told by the administrator when I was let go, just because I had more of an education I was not perfect! No I am not perfect but I do know what I was taught in school and you don't mess with medication and you really should what you are doing if you are going to be passing it out. I've always wanted to be a nurse since I was a child, being in that situation really opened my eyes, I just don't understand how people can take advantage of the elderly the way they do. I'm studying for my boards now, I'm taking them next month, for the second time. I hope I pass this time. Thanks for letting me vent.

Bless.

I didn't spend all this time in nursing school for nothing.

[virmm1, LPN]

Good luck on your next boards. I think you'll do just fine.

Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing. You will find that many times competent nurses are fired for trying to do right by their pts.

As nurses we are taught to be pt advocates along with everything else we do for pts. Thank you for turning that med tech in for her blantant med administration no no's. I have nothing against med techs personally but it does make me nervous to know that they are taught to give meds but are not made to know the usual dosages, side effects, indications for the meds they are giving. If the responsiblilty was truly presented to them like it is presented to nurses I wonder how many would want to be med techs for what little extra money they get for .

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Sounds like you have a case for wrongful termination if you chose to persue it.

State ombudsman would be VERY INTERESTED to hear this information along with state licensing officials.

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

I agree with Karen...

I immediately thought of the state health department or whatever state agency licenses the facility. I could not, in good conscience, walk away without notifying appropriate authorities.

Good luck to you in your new career. We need nurses who aren't afraid to blow the whistle, especially when things are so blatantly wrong!

[boulergirl, CNA]

Winnie, they fired the wrong person. That med tech should have lost their job PRONTO for doing stuff like that. As a med tech, even I know better than to do what she's doing. I once had to report a co-worker after several pills were found underneath a resident while they were in bed. She was angry with me about ratting her and told me she would never do that to me. Well, excuse me for doing my job! I'm the bad guy if I report someone, but if I don't report them, it's MY butt on the line.