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Discussion

Medication machine

I work for a large health system. I am at a free standing ASC that is owned by this health system. All policy of the health system apply to our site however we have zero support; no ancillary staff, no environmental care, no pharmacist, no security. A pharmacy tech brings drugs supplies to us on an as needed basis. The pharmacy tech could not make it out to restock the machine (we have 5 machines) and as a result the machine in the actual OR did not have necessary narcotics for the day of procedures. The anesthesiologist was PUT OUT because they had to pull narcs for each patient from one of the other machines; as the day went along the anes staff was getting highly frustrated and started demanding that the nurses go get supply of narcs from one of the other machines and restock the empty machine for them so they didn't have to go to that machine to get out narcs for each patient. We refused to get narcs and restock the machine. Our manager was informed by the Ames staff that we refused and the manager came back and started excreting pressure on us telling us they'd write us up for insubordination if we refused to "help" the Ames staff.  
 

We are interpreting RNs restocking a med machine as dispensing drugs, which, as I understand it, is against nurse practice acts plus we do not want to restock narcotics. 
 

Does anyone have any info about this?  Upon reviewing the health system policy, no where within that policy does it say nurses are responsible for restocking a medication machine; pharmacy staff are the only staff stated in the policy to have the task of restocking the machine.

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    I think you are very much within your legal rights to NOT agree to do the job of a pharmacist , especially when it comes to restocking narcotics and other anesthetic agents . From the sounds of things, the organization you work for is doing things on the cheap and the fact that they are pressuring you to do that which you feel is not in your nurses scope of practice/ job description , really is indicative of a dangerous work culture and certainly NOT one of safety. If I were you , I would report the matter as a patient safety one all the way up the chain and if they persist, I'd hand in my notice. Working in such an environment / workplace is not worth the risk placed on your nursing license or the risk of harm to patients. 

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