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Discussion

medication labeling

Hi all, I'm new to the website and new to nursing. I will be graduating from an accelerated program at the end of March and I had a few questions.

1) the policies and procedures that I have been taught at my future hospital require that all medication is labeled before you leave the med room and bring it to a patient. However, I have noticed that, in the ER and other busy places, some people ignore this policy when they are just administering a few simple medications. What is the common practice for labeling medications (IV bags, syringes, etc.)?

2) Another policy at my hospital is that the US tech will perform all ordered ultrasounds. However, again in the ER, nurses or doctors often perform a bedside US before an order can be officially written. Is an ultrasound within our scope and practice or is this one of those grey areas?

3) Another policy which I have read about in text books and at my hospital is that anyone receiving IV medication must stay on the unit for at least 15 minutes before they can be discharged, however I have witnessed patients discharged 5-10 minutes after receiving their medications. What is the common practice in this case? Does it depend on the type of medication?

-I would appreciate as many points of view as possible.

Thanks for help,

Rob

Featured Replies

1 I work in a 6 bed general ICU. I would label syringes with at least a piece of tape with the drug name, especially if it being hung as a secondary on a pump. Most of our meds are unit doses so they are labelled in little premade packages. We just don't open them til we get to the bedside

2)Can't help with the US questions as it doesn't apply, we don't have a machine, the tech brings it up each time from Radiology.

3)Our ED makes people wait (I think it is 1/2 hour) I have had my kids down there and I am sure it is apolicy they stick with.

When I worked med-surg, I used to tape the vial to the syringe after the med was prepared. That was the quickest way for me to label the med to take it to the room.

Sure wish they had removable labels that pulled off the vial and stuck to the syringe, like animal vaccine labels do. You can then stick the label on the cat's medical or vaccination record. :D

I have worked in ER and know that sometimes people make up their own rules and claim it is due to expediency. That is the sort of thing that puts the hospital and the nurse both in risky situations. Best to abide by policy. Also, if you get in the habit of doing things the "wrong" way, it is hard to break when a visitor is nearby, observes your actions, then announces they are surveyors (or worse! lawyers!)

In our ED only meds that are out of there package have to be labeled. I bring in the meds with the vial or package so have no problem but in truth most of the nurses only do it when they know they are being watched.

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