Medication aides taking nursing jobs?

doodlemom · Jan 7, 2006

Hi! I have been an RN for 15 years. I am currently living in NC, and in Summer 2006 nursing homes in our state will be able to use "medication aides" (CNA with an additional 24 hours of training) to give medications - all but injectables. Won't this eliminate a lot of LPN/RN LTC positions. All to save the facilities $$$$. Anyone out there familiar with this?

Unfortunately this has become standard practice in most states. Here, the SNF's are staffed with LVNs as the charge nurses and med aides are giving out the meds. The RN's are usually the DON, ADON, MDS nurse - and sometimes charge. I've seen some LVN's as ADON's. I think there are a lot more med errors. I'm sure this is a result of the lobbying efforts of the big nursing home corporations because it helps their bottom line. I used to live in NC and was wondering when they would go this route.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 7, 2006

(CNA with an additional 24 hours of training) to give medications - all but injectables. Won't this eliminate a lot of LPN/RN LTC positions.

At least to get rid of LPN positions, since you have to have RNs there.

24 hours of training. That is just completely ridiculous, dangerous, and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Katnip, RN · Jan 7, 2006

I hope I die before I have to end up in a nursing home if this is the trend. I can't imagine how they're going to lower the standards 30 years from now.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 7, 2006

I hope I die before I have to end up in a nursing home if this is the trend. I can't imagine how they're going to lower the standards 30 years from now.

I agree. And like someone else said on one of the other MA threads, notice that this practice is used on one of the most vulnerable populations?

SFCardiacRN · Jan 7, 2006

This "upward skill track" has been going on since nursing started and will continue. Remember, there was a time when nurses couldn't even take blood pressures. Now, with just a little extra training, RN's can first assist. As RN's do more and more "MD type" skills, the vacumn will be filled by LVN's. I'm not surprised that LVN's are now running units and serving as charge. Now, CNA's, with just a little extra training, will fill the void as LVN's "up track".

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 7, 2006

Hi! I have been an RN for 15 years. I am currently living in NC, and in Summer 2006 nursing homes in our state will be able to use "medication aides" (CNA with an additional 24 hours of training) to give medications - all but injectables. Won't this eliminate a lot of LPN/RN LTC positions. All to save the facilities $$$$. Anyone out there familiar with this?

Yes, very much so Please refer to the following:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f165/medication-aides-96392.html

http://www.ncpama.org/index.htm

fluffwad · Jan 7, 2006

This "upward skill track" has been going on since nursing started and will continue. Remember, there was a time when nurses couldn't even take blood pressures. Now, with just a little extra training, RN's can first assist. As RN's do more and more "MD type" skills, the vacumn will be filled by LVN's. I'm not surprised that LVN's are now running units and serving as charge. Now, CNA's, with just a little extra training, will fill the void as LVN's "up track".

I agree.......................but I've known nurses ( RN & LPN) who just passes pills mindlessly, no consideration for side effects, no evaluation of the overall patient condition. The floor nurses in our NH spend 40-50% of their shifts on the med cart. If that time was freed up they could spend a lot more time on things like falls prevention, wound care, skin assessment and decub prevention, etc, etc, etc.

SFCardiacRN · Jan 7, 2006

We will always be plagued by nurses who do no critical thinking. They simply follow orders with blinders on. There are a couple in my unit. Very dangerous people. I've even seen an RN hook nasal cannula up to wall suction! It is not the license or the degree that makes a good nurse.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 7, 2006

I've even seen an RN hook nasal cannula up to wall suction!

Good grief.

IowaKaren · Jan 7, 2006

I agree.......................but I've known nurses ( RN & LPN) who just passes pills mindlessly, no consideration for side effects, no evaluation of the overall patient condition. The floor nurses in our NH spend 40-50% of their shifts on the med cart. If that time was freed up they could spend a lot more time on things like falls prevention, wound care, skin assessment and decub prevention, etc, etc, etc.

It would certainly be nice if the med. pass was freed up for the RN's/LPN's to spend more time on fall prevention, wound care, skin assessment, etc. but the CMA's are basically taking a share of Residents for med. pass while the RN/Lpn is taking a share of med. pass and the nurse (RN/LPN) is still responsible for all the Residents including the CMA's which basically places more responsiblity on the nurse since she is really covering 2 nurse's worth of residents cares. Add all the CNA's to the mix and she has total responsibilty of everything when (let's say) 2 nurse's used to share this load. Add a skilled care unit into it all and it can really stretch things thin with being responsible for frequent, unannounced admit and discharges and then be charge nurse for several floors in a large community center of assisted living, Alz.unit, skilled unit, and 2 floors of 60 residents, one being mainly a total care unit. Then we nurses are responsible of making sure all cares are completed and if not, confront the offending parties. Well, there is just not enough time in a day to all of that and the only ones that it hurts is the Residents. The PTB are more concerned on how 'nice and homie' the facility looks but forgets the main thing, the Residents well being, always looking at the cover and not whats in the book. Yes, we all care but good care, I feel, is much more important.

fluffwad · Jan 7, 2006

Legislation for Med Techs was just passed a couple of months ago in Ohio......we haven't had any in our place yet. How do the places that have them now do it?

I suspect we might get med techs in the assisted living first, but no one has said anything about how med techs would be worked into the staffing ratios, etc.